Fifty invited guests from the corporate, politics and media sectors attended the opening of Airport Magdeburg/Cochstedt international's first Cargo and Logistics centre on 21.11.13. "We had not expected such a great response", delighted investor and general manager Peter Sølbeck reported, having greeted each guest individually at 1pm, along with second general manager Uwe Hädicke. In the two hours that followed, the guests were informed about all the relevant details about the logistics complex as well as the plans for the future of the airport. Uwe Hädicke (General Manager CSO) opened proceedings with a short welcome speech, mentioning the first contacts and corporate partners who will be profiting from the airport's status as regulated agent (EU) and recognised consignor with a 24/7 operations license. Saxony-Anhalt's Minister for Economy and Trade, Hartmut Möllring, addressed the guests then and was followed by Secretary of State Dr. Klaus Klang (Ministry for state development and traffic Saxony-Anhalt), both of whom stated economic and traffic related facts.
"We found a reliable buyer and investor for the Airport Magdeburg/Cochstedt in Airport Development A/S. The Danish owners have proven their intentions to develop the airport for the long term and also that they have the means required for the project at their disposal. I can only welcome the expansion of the freight sector as second important pillar for the airport. This is especially true considering all investments were realised without any state aid", emphasised Minister Möllring. Following the addresses, Univ.Prof. Dr.Ing. Hartmut Zadek (Institute for Logistics and Goods flow technology, ILM) clarified the Airport Magdeburg/Cochstedt international's logistics possibilities worldwide and Steve Riedel (German American Chamber of Commerce, GACC) informed all in attendance about the german / American network.
During the tour of the Airport and Logistics grounds guests had the opportunity to view the completed cargo facility as well as witness the construction progress of the second and larger logistics centre which is due for opening in the second quarter of 2014. Operations Manager Silke
Buschmann was proud to show off the new screening and sniffer rechnology and was available for for any questions. "With the new technology, we can now process freight from start to finish, including scanning and security controls."
The event ended with an extensive buffet and interesting conversations in the airport's departure lounge. "We are delighted with the success of the opening. A total of approximately €8 Million investment went into the Logistics area, so it is encouraging to see that our next logical steps are being accepted positively", Peter Sølbeck concluded.
