Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) in the US and Cologne-Bonn Airport (CGN) in Germany have signed a co-operation agreement to mutually develop air cargo traffic between their two regions. According to the gateways, the new partnership will strengthen the knowledge sharing between these two strong cargo service airports and support their collective air cargo reach. Additionally, the airports expect to work on cutting-edge initiatives to develop high-quality handling systems for e-commerce cargo.
Located 68 miles northwest of Chicago O’Hare, RFD the 17th largest airport in the United States for air cargo with more than 2.7 billion pounds (1.2 tonnes) of landed weight in 2020. The annual air cargo throughput for 2020 was 383,915 tonnes, a 17% increase over the previous year. It also enjoys the status of being the second-largest UPS hub in North America and a base of operations for Amazon Air. RFD was named the fastest-growing cargo airport in the world in 2019.
CGN is located between the City of Cologne and the former German capital city of Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia and represents the heartland of Germany’s urban, business and industry metropolitan development in West Germany.
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Combined, the two cities are home to approximately 1.4 million people. CGN is home to top global cargo airlines including UPS, FedEx, DHL, and Amazon Air. The annual air cargo throughput was 863,000 tonnes in 2020.
Co-operation agreement
The agreement is viewed as being the catalyst for both airports to further optimize their burgeoning air cargo business. Joint goals include attracting additional cargo airlines, alleviate on-ground challenges and impact the movement of products quickly to their final destinations. Additionally, both RFD and CGN agree to support current cargo customers by evaluating processes and procedures. It aims to make ground and cargo handling more efficient and shorten the delivery times for logistics companies.
“The pronounced similarities between our two airports provide a springboard for us to move forward proactively and efficiently to positively impact business, continued economic development, and job growth in our regions,” said RFD’s executive director, Mike Dunn. “With our goals aligned, together we can enhance services and capabilities benefitting our cargo customers.” The agreement between RFD and CGN is a partnership unique to the industry and progressive in its approach to further manage the increasing needs for worldwide e-commerce and cargo carriers.
“With the co-operation agreement between Chicago Rockford International Airport and Cologne-Bonn Airport, we will establish a regular communication and exchange platform,” explained Johan Vanneste, president and CEO of Cologne-Bonn Airport. “The aforementioned exchange will not only include airport operations, aircraft handling and cargo handling, but also security, marketing, and sales as well as air cargo and e-commerce market development.”
