Frankfurt Cargo Services (FCS), a subsidiary of Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), has honoured its top-performing airline customers of 2020 for their growth and agility in responding to industry disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In keeping with its annual tradition, FCS – the largest neutral cargo handler at Frankfurt Airport – awarded each airline with a handmade Apfelwein-Bembel cider cup to knowledge their success in the Frankfurt air cargo market over the previous 12 months.
AirBridgeCargo Airlines retained its number one position in 2020 for the highest overall tonnage level, while FCS also recognized the strong performance of Qatar Airways and China Southern Airlines in second and third places respectively.
Diana Schoeneich, Senior Director European Region at AirBridgeCargo, commented: “We would like to thank our long-time partner FCS for the recognition and this nice tradition that has been maintained for so many years. As AirBridgeCargo has been a winner since 2009, we thank FCS for our successful partnership and support, especially during the pandemic.
“Delivering much needed cargo was a challenging task in 2020. Thanks to teamwork, aligned internal processes and the dedication of our employees, we were able to continue supporting our European customers and contribute to the fight against the spread of COVID-19 by transporting more than 4,000 tons of specialized cargo.”
In terms of annual growth, another Russian customer, Ural Airlines, was presented with a Bembel cup after seeing a ten-fold increase in its year-on-year volumes.
This was achieved by converting its passenger aircraft for cargo-only flights during the height of the pandemic. Cups were also awarded to China Cargo Airlines for the 19 percent growth in its volumes over 2019, and to Network Airline Services for achieving a 16 percent increase in tonnage.
Claus Wagner, Managing Director of FCS, said: “2020 was marked by special challenges for all of us. Whilst COVID-19 restrictions and safety measures meant our traditional awards ceremony could not go ahead as normal, it was more important than ever for us to thank our partners for the great cooperation and to recognize their achievements over the last year.
“We are looking forward to continuing to work together with all of our airline customers in 2021 and hope we can look forward to a positive recovery of the airline passenger and cargo markets.”
