Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has once again secured the top position in the Airports Council International (ACI) ranking of the world’s busiest cargo airports for 2024. This marks the 14th time it has received this honor since 2010. Lödige Industries takes pride in its role as a trusted cargo terminal technology partner in the airport's remarkable growth journey, a collaboration that spans over two decades. Lödige's initial and continued engineering capabilities have demonstrated that investment into the company's technology is reliable and future-proof, supporting HKIA's growth ambition and its relentless strive for efficient cargo handling.
Throughout this time, Lödige has consistently supported its customers at HKIA in reaching new heights of efficiency and reliability in their cargo handling operations through the provision and maintenance of state-of-the-art air cargo systems. Nicholas Tripptree, Managing Director of Asia Pacific at Lödige, stated, "We warmly congratulate Hong Kong International Airport on this impressive achievement. HKIA's role as a major global logistics hub emphasizes its strategic importance and operational excellence. Lödige Industries is delighted to be an integral part of this ongoing development, and we look forward to continuing our strong and fruitful partnerships with many customers here at the airport."
The first project in 2004 – a multi-level material handling system for the Asia Airfreight Terminal (AAT) 2 – set new standards by accommodating the four highest Elevating Transfer Vehicles (ETVs) in the world. The combination of a speed of 2m/s and a height of 43m is still unique in the world of airfreight handling. With numerous upgrades and additional systems in both AAT terminals, Lödige has steadily optimized cargo handling processes. Responding to the growing demand for seamless solutions to handle temperature-sensitive goods, a cold chain pallet cargo system was installed in 2021 at HKIA's first facility to offer a fully temperature-controlled environment.
At the Cathay Cargo terminal, a fully automated material handling system designed and installed by Lödige has optimized cargo processing since 2009. For Cathay Pacific Catering Services (CPCS), a ULD handling system and a vertical bin and pallet distribution system have revolutionized transport technology, supporting the production of over 100,000 meals daily for hundreds of flights for more than 15 years.
One of Lödige's latest projects at HKIA is the Cainiao Smart Gateway, the smart logistics infrastructure of Alibaba's logistics division and the third largest logistics center in Hong Kong. Located at the airport, Cainiao Smart Gateway provides warehousing and distribution services and is equipped with Lödige's automated material handling systems to offer maximum efficiency and fast international shipping times.
Beyond system design and installation, Lödige Industries plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operations at HKIA by providing ongoing maintenance services. Through high-quality maintenance services, Lödige ensures a reliable, continuous, and trouble-free operation of the systems. These long-standing service agreements, in place since the commissioning of systems at Asia Airfreight Terminals 1 and 2 and the Cathay Pacific Cargo and Catering systems, remain active today and prove that Lödige is an important and reliable partner in the long term.
Lödige has supported HKIA on its impressive journey for over 20 years, an evidence of the long-term value we deliver. The world’s busiest cargo airport and Lödige will continue this strong partnership for the years to come. We are looking forward to supporting the development of efficient, reliable, and advanced cargo logistics, ensuring HKIA retains its leading role in the future!
