A new logistics centre for disaster management is being built at Leipzig/Halle Airport as part of a European Union programme. The site near the airport is being set up and supervised by the German Red Cross.
The EU and its members states are establishing a logistics centre to be able to cover the growing public health needs in crisis situations too.
The logistics centres will not only procure, store and look after protective equipment, but also organise the logistical distribution services in emergencies.
Götz Ahmelmann, the CEO at Mitteldeutsche Flughafen said: “The decision to establish the EU logistics centre at our airport is logical. It’s a reward for our efforts to provide the best possible conditions at the air freight hub in Leipzig/Halle.
“We’re proud to make our contribution to humanitarian aid and feel encouraged to continue doing everything possible so that we can transport all kinds of cargo by air in a flexible manner.”
Leipzig/Halle Airport, Europe’s fifth-largest cargo airport, provides the ideal conditions for handling humanitarian aid shipments. The airport has a 24-hour operating permit for cargo flights and is directly connected to the trans-European motorway and railway networks.
An airport spokesperson said: “With more than 1,000 cargo flights taking off and landing every week, the airport is proving to be a bedrock for reliable logistics and supply chains for the population and industry in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis.
“Leipzig/Halle can handle all kinds of air freight and cargo planes. The airport also has CEIV Pharma certification and is therefore able to tranship temperature- and time-critical pharmaceutical shipments like vaccines round the clock.”
Humanitarian aid flights have repeatedly taken off from the Central German airport in the past.
Aid shipments for the German Red Cross have flown to Greece and Honduras via Leipzig/Halle during the last few months, for example, transporting urgently needed tents and water treatment equipment to areas suffering from floods, among other things.
