Munich Airport welcomes new freight joint venture
In a strategic move to boost air freight operations, Munich Airport has announced the sale of a 74.9% stake in its cargo subsidiary, Cargogate Munich Airport, to CHI Aviation Handling.
The deal, set to be finalised in January 2025 pending regulatory approval, aims to enhance the airport’s freight services and strengthen its position in the international logistics market.
Cargogate, founded in 1974, operates a 17,000-square-metre facility at Munich Airport, where it handles a range of cargo services. These include the acceptance, sorting, and assembly of goods, as well as customs clearance and the management of hazardous materials. As a regulated agent, Cargogate has the infrastructure to process all types of specialised cargo.
Under the agreement, Munich Airport will retain a 25.1% share in Cargogate, ensuring its continued involvement in the company’s operations. The partnership with CHI Aviation Handling, part of the larger CHI Cargo Group, is expected to bring additional expertise and access to a broad customer network.
The CHI Group already operates freight and airline handling services at major airports including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Nuremberg, and Amsterdam, and this acquisition marks their first foray into Munich’s growing cargo market.
Despite the change in ownership, Cargogate will continue to operate under its current name for the time being. The joint venture’s long-term goal is to sustainably develop air freight at Munich Airport, with a focus on expanding cargo volumes and business capacity.
Importantly, the jobs of Cargogate’s 150 employees are protected under the terms of the deal, providing reassurance to staff as the transition progresses. Munich Airport and CHI Cargo Group are confident that this partnership will position the airport as a leading hub for freight operations in Europe.
“I am pleased that we have been able to win a strong strategic partner in CHI for our freight subsidiary Cargogate in order to jointly advance freight development at Munich Airport,” says Jost Lammers, CEO of Munich Airport.
“With the joint venture with Munich Airport, one of Europe’s leading airports, we are strengthening the location and the German air freight market as a whole with our proven scalable processes in the area of cargo handling,” says Kai Domscheit, managing director of CHI Aviation.
