The Korean cargo airline Korean Air Cargo and Vienna Airport have extended their long-standing cooperation for another four years. The new handling contract secures the successful partnership, which has existed since 2004, until the end of 2028. The agreement is a testament to the trust between the two partners and underlines the importance of Vienna Airport as a central hub for air freight traffic between Asia and Europe.
Since Korean Air Cargo began its first cargo flights to Vienna almost two decades ago, the cooperation has continued to develop. "The contract extension is a strong sign of the trust and successful cooperation between our companies," explained Julian Jäger, CEO of Flughafen Wien AG. With modern infrastructure, comprehensive services and a dedicated team, Vienna Airport has established itself as an indispensable partner for the airline.
Korean Air Cargo is one of the world's leading cargo airlines. With up to ten weekly flights, it connects Vienna with major economic centers around the world. It uses aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400F, Boeing 747-8F and Boeing 777F, which are specialized in the transport of high-value cargo, such as electronic and pharmaceutical products.
Expanding cooperation and new initiatives
The contract extension goes beyond pure handling. As part of the expanded cooperation agreement, which was signed in Seoul-Incheon on the occasion of the 20th anniversary in 2024, joint marketing initiatives, knowledge transfer in the field of logistics systems and optimized services for freight forwarders and customers are intended to further strengthen the cooperation.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Incheon Airport in South Korea aims to meet the increasing demands of air freight transport. This will further consolidate Vienna Airport as a European freight hub for transport between Asia and Europe.
"The continuation of our partnership with Vienna Airport shows how successful our cooperation is," emphasized Eum Jaedong, Executive Vice President and Head of the Cargo Division at Korean Air Cargo. Both partners aim to handle the growing volume of cargo traffic while maintaining the quality and efficiency of transport services at the highest level.
Vienna Airport as a cargo hub of global importance
With its central location in Europe, Vienna Airport has established itself as an important cargo hub, especially for intercontinental transport. From here, the most important economic centers of Central and Eastern Europe can be reached within 24 to 48 hours.
The airport's 24-hour operational readiness and the proximity of the cargo parking spaces to the terminal buildings enable fast turnaround times. This makes the location particularly attractive for leading cargo airlines that rely on efficient logistics.
Vienna Airport has ten Category F aircraft parking spaces that can accommodate even the largest cargo aircraft such as the Antonov 124 or Boeing 747. This infrastructure is crucial for handling special cargo, including sensitive products such as electronic devices and medicines, which must meet the highest quality standards.
The contract extension with Korean Air Cargo underlines the strength and stability of Vienna Airport as an air cargo location. The planned initiatives and the intensified cooperation with Incheon Airport offer a promising perspective for the coming years.
The synergy effects of the partnership will further expand air freight traffic between Asia and Europe, which is of great importance both for the companies involved and for the regional and international economic zones. The success story of the cooperation between Korean Air Cargo and Vienna Airport is thus entering a new phase.
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