Fraport, the company that runs Frankfurt International Airport, recently got permission to add a fourth runway and third terminal. This is a big deal considering Frankfurt International Airport is a major hub for Lufthansa, a leading global airline.
Interesting that Fraport is undertaking this €4 billion (about $5.7 billion) plan during a worldwide economic recession that’s hammering the airline industry. But some people say that expanding the airport will give the local economy a shot in the arm. The expansion also will help Lufthansa compete against other European powerhouse carriers such as British Airways and Air France-KLM.
Detractors are peeved about the expansion increasing the number of night flights out of the airport (noise pollution is the main issue, they say), which Lufthansa says are essential to keeping its cargo business healthy. Cargo volumes have plunged across the airline industry.
As an aside, Lufthansa and the Frankfurt Airport aren’t afraid to try new things when it comes to expansion. A very interesting facility was added to the airport in April 2008: A state-of-the-art animal handling facility.
From pets to ornamental fish to day-old chicks to zoo animals, Lufthansa Cargo transports thousands of animals annually aboard its MD-11 freighters and in the belly holds of Lufthansa passenger planes. Lufthansa Cargo‘s Frankfurt Animal Lounge allows animals to rest, be examined by veterinarians, and then be transferred for the next leg of their journeys. The 40,000 sq. ft. facility has 42 stalls for large animals, such as the hundreds of polo ponies and racehorses that come through Frankfurt every year, as well as 39 smaller boxes, special aviaries and a dozen temperature-controlled chambers. By opening the Animal Lounge, Lufthansa Cargo differentiated itself from other cargo movers.
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