Frankfurt, Shanghai Pudong Sign New Cargo Partnership

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) have signed a new strategic partnership focused on strengthening cooperation in air cargo, marking the first such agreement between the two hubs in this segment. The Memorandum of Understanding expands a long-standing relationship by deepening collaboration within each airport community, improving regulatory processes and exploring new market opportunities.

 

“The demand for air cargo between Asia and Europe is growing rapidly,” said Alexander Laukenmann, Senior Executive Vice President Aviation at Fraport AG. “Having one of China’s largest cargo airports as a partner is an important step toward meeting the increasing needs of international trade.”

Frankfurt Airport remains one of Europe’s leading cargo hubs, serving as a key gateway for goods moving between Asia and Europe. Both airports aim to use the new partnership to make global cargo flows more efficient and future-proof, supporting e-commerce growth and rising cross-border demand. Frankfurt currently handles around five million e-commerce consignments each month.

Planned initiatives include:

• A coordinated rapid-response mechanism to speed up customs and regulatory procedures

• Joint roadshows to strengthen collaboration with logistics partners

• Shared efforts to establish common standards for cross-border cargo handling

The agreement follows last year’s successful Cargo Roadshow in Shanghai and forms part of the wider Frankfurt CargoHub Masterplan, which aims to enhance FRA’s competitiveness as a logistics gateway.

Both hubs expect the partnership to pave the way for additional international cooperation in strategically important cargo markets.