Yesterday, the local council of the Municipality of Tårnby adopted a local development plan that can pave the way for a new business adventure with air cargo at Copenhagen Airport. So now the Airport Business Park project can really take off.

There are extensive plans for the 150,000 m2 area at Copenhagen Airport bordering on the Sound, and the Municipality of Tårnby has now given the go-ahead for development of an Airport Business Park in this area.

The project will entail more jobs, more air cargo and better opportunities to export high-value goods that are transported by plane. At the same time, global corporations will be able to set up operations right next to the airport.

As an important element of the plan, the local road network will be developed so that the area’s infrastructure can handle the growth resulting from expansion of the eastern part of the airport. For the Municipality of Tårnby, necessary investments in roads have been a precondition for giving the thumbs up for the local development plan.

Tårnby local council has been concerned about the prospect of increased traffic to and from the coastal road, Kystvejen. But according to the mayor of Tårnby, Henrik Zimino, a solution has now been found that includes improvements to the large roundabout at Kystvejen so that it will be easier to get to and from the area.

“It has been important for Tårnby to avoid congestion and to resolve the traffic challenges related to a future Airport Business Park. We've managed to do so and now we look forward to partnering with the airport to develop what we hope will become a Northern European air cargo hub,” says Henrik Zimino.

Large ambitions
With the adoption of the local development plan, Copenhagen Airport can now invite Danish and foreign companies to develop an Airport Business Park in an area the size of 20 football pitches next to the existing cargo area.

“We have large ambitions. Denmark can become a Northern European air cargo hub. At the same time, we will be able to attract global corporations that would otherwise opt for locations in and around other European airports,” says Peter Krogsgaard, Chief Commercial Officer of Copenhagen Airport.

Passenger flights are also dependent on air cargo
One of the ambitions is to double the airport’s capacity from 500,000 to 1,000,000 tonnes of air cargo a year. That is essential, not only to the air cargo companies, but also to passenger flights.

“Today, belly cargo on passenger flights accounts for around 10% of earnings, especially on intercontinental long-haul routes. So air cargo is also a decisive factor if we are to attract new flight routes to faraway destinations,” Peter Krogsgaard emphasises.

Facts:

• The Airport Business Park will double cargo capacity at Copenhagen Airport from 500,000 tonnes today to 1,000,000 tonnes annually in future.
• More than 10% of earnings on international long-haul flights come from belly cargo carried by passenger flights.
• By increasing the airport’s cargo capacity even more, the Airport Business Park will also support passenger routes.
• In 2016, more than 29 million passengers passed through Copenhagen Airport on one of the 165 direct routes to the rest of the world, including 34 destinations outside Europe.
• The airport is being expanded massively these years in order to be able to cater for 40 million passengers a year. The expansion may cost as much as DKK 20 billion.
• The expansion of CPH's passenger handling capacity to 40 million will create approx. 9,000 additional permanent jobs at the airport.