For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry
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Passenger numbers remain very low in Frankfurt – Repatriation of passengers largely completed – High demand for freight capacities – Some airlines use passenger airplanes as freighter-only aircraft – Continued reduction of cargo throughput, due to lack of belly freight (shipped on passenger aircraft)
| Week 17/2020 (April 20-26) | Week | Δ %* |
| Passengers | 45,270 | -96.80% |
| Cargo (airfreight + airmail) in metric tons | 33,694 | -12.90% |
| Aircraft movements | 1,605 | -84.00% |
| *Change compared to Week 17 of 2019 |
In November 2019, Frankfurt Airport (FRA) welcomed almost 5.1 million passengers – representing a 3.4 percent decrease compared to the same month last year. The thinned-out winter flight schedule and the two-day strike by Lufthansa cabin staff had a negative impact on passenger numbers. Without the strike effect, FRA’s passenger traffic would have declined only slightly by 1.1 percent year-on-year.
Intercontinental traffic to and from Frankfurt continued to grow robustly by 2.1 percent. In contrast, European traffic fell markedly by 6.5 percent due to airline bankruptcies and other factors.
Aircraft movements shrank by 5.8 percent to 38,790 takeoffs and landings. Accumulated maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs) also contracted by 4.0 percent to around 2.4 million metric tons. Reflecting the ongoing slowdown of the global economy, cargo throughput (comprising airfreight and airmail) dropped by 5.0 percent to 186,670 metric tons.
Fraport’s executive board chairman, Dr. Stefan Schulte, commented:
“Following solid traffic growth this year so far, we experienced a noticeable decline in November, primarily due to strikes. As a result, we expect full-year passenger traffic at Frankfurt to grow at a slightly slower pace than our previous forecast of about two to three percent. Despite slightly slower traffic growth, we are maintaining our financial outlook for the full year 2019 – backed by the positive financial performance achieved to date in Frankfurt and with our international business.”
Across the Group, the airports in Fraport’s international portfolio largely performed well in November 2019. Affected by the bankruptcy of home-carrier Adria Airways and other factors, Slovenia’s Ljubljana Airport (LJU) reported a 27.0 percent decline in traffic to 85,787 passengers. Also the two Brazilian airports of Fortaleza (FOR) and Porto Alegre (POA) saw combined traffic slip by 2.2 percent to just over 1.3 million passengers. This was primarily due to the bankruptcy of Avianca Brasil and to Azul airlines reducing its flight offerings.
Peru’s Lima Airport (LIM) recorded a 6.9 percent jump in traffic to some 1.9 million passengers.
With 727,043 passengers overall, Fraport’s 14 Greek regional airports maintained last year’s level (up 0.1 percent). Bulgaria’s Varna (VAR) and Burgas (BOJ) airports registered a total of 83,764 passengers – growing by 22.7 percent, albeit on the basis of a low traffic November month in the previous year.
Antalya Airport (AYT) in Turkey welcomed almost 1.4 million passengers, representing a gain of 11.8 percent year-on-year. Traffic at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport (LED) in Russia registered a 6.8 percent increase to about 1.4 million passengers. At Xi’an Airport
(XIY) in China, traffic climbed 4.9 percent to nearly 3.8 million passengers.
For further information about Fraport AG please click here:
MEDIA CONTACT:
60547 Frankfurt, Germany
Telephone: +49 69 690-70555
E-mail: a.zell@fraport.de
During the weeks before Christmas, the terminals at Frankfurt Airport are incandescent with the glow of thousands of lights. Like every year, shops and restaurants invite guests to go on an extensive shopping tour while taking advantage of attractive bargains and yuletide culinary creations. Major international brands mingle with regional and “typical German” products. Small but exquisite owner-run boutiques are interspersed with startlingly innovative shops that would be hard to find anywhere else.
The airport’s Visitor Service has come up with a very special gift idea: an “experience gift card” that entitles bearers to immerse themselves in the fascination of the airport. The card can be purchased for any amount starting at seven euros. It can be used for one of the many different airport tours, for the Visitors’ Terrace, or for making purchases in the shop run by the Visitor Service, which carries a wide range of unusual articles and souvenirs that delight aviation fans of all ages (they can naturally also be bought in the usual way). The gift cards are available for downloading from www.FRA-Gutscheine.com, and you can print them out yourself along with a personalized greeting. They can also be bought in the “FRA Airport Tours & Shop” in the departures hall of Terminal 1 or at the entrance to the Visitors’ Terrace.
If you prefer to shop from the comfort of your home or hotel, you’ll find lots to choose from in the Frankfurt Airport Online Shop. At Christmas time there is a gift finder that provides tips on what to give her or him or children and suggests electronic products, sweets and other foods and much more for any budget. Frankfurt Airport is also ideal for last-minute shopping and purchases: the shops and restaurants are open on all holidays―on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Even until 6 p.m., and on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day starting as early as 9 a.m.
Passengers and visitors can find more information on the wide range of services available at Frankfurt Airport by visiting its website, service shop, or Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube social media pages.
MEDIA CONTACT: Angelika Heinbuch, Fraport AG, Spokesperson, Press Office, Corp. Communications, 60547 Frankfurt, Germany, Telephone: +49 69 690-28417, E-mail: a.heinbuch@fraport.de , Internet: www.fraport.com , Facebook: www.facebook.com/FrankfurtAirport
Kosher treats to go are now available from a new convenient food vending machine in Departures Hall C at Frankfurt Airport’s Terminal 1. The choice ranges from gummy bears and traditional Jewish sweets to hearty stuffed cabbage rolls. The snacks and specialties on offer are all conform to Jewish dietary laws. This is guaranteed by Frankfurt-based food retailer Migdal, who is responsible for stocking the machine. Migdal also supplies many of the households in Frankfurt’s Jewish community.
“Thanks to the new food vending machine, Jewish travelers have access to food and nutritious take-away snacks that are certified to be kosher,” says Frankfurt’s Rabbi Avichai Apel, welcoming the new addition. The location chosen is also ideal, he adds. The machine is very close to the check-in desk for Israeli airline El Al in Departures Hall C. A Jewish prayer room is also just a few steps away. “This is an excellent service and a successful continuation of the longstanding, intensive cooperation between the airport and Frankfurt’s Jewish community,” underlines Rabbi Apel.
The food on offer costs between one and three euros and can be paid for with cash, credit card, PayPal or Apple Pay.
For more new about Frankfurt Airport, please click here.
About Fraport AG and Frankfurt Airport
One of the leading players in the global airport business, Fraport AG offers a wide range of operational and management solutions based on over 90 years of aviation expertise. Fraport’s portfolio of companies spans four continents with activities at 30 airports worldwide. In fiscal year 2018 (Dec. 31), Fraport generated sales of €3.5 billion and profit of about €506 million. More than 144 million passengers in 2018 used airports around the world in which Fraport has more than a 50 percent stake. In its Mission Statement, Fraport places the focus on its customers. The Group’s commitment to ensuring a “good trip” to all passengers and travelers is also reflected in its corporate slogan: “Gute Reise! We make it happen”. This applies to all of Fraport’s business activities and services at Germany’s largest aviation hub in Frankfurt and the Group’s airports worldwide. At its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) home base, Fraport welcomed more than 69.5 million passengers and handled about 2.21 million metric tons of cargo (airfreight and airmail) in 2018. For the current summer timetable, FRA is served by 94 passenger airlines flying to 306 destinations in 98 countries worldwide. A total of 137 intercontinental destinations are served from FRA in the 2019 summer schedule – underscoring Frankfurt’s role as a leading hub in the global air transportation system. In Europe, Frankfurt Airport ranks first in terms of cargo tonnage and is the fourth busiest for passenger traffic. Frankfurt Airport City has become Germany’s largest job complex at a single location, employing approximately 81,000 people at some 450 companies and organizations on site. Almost half of Germany’s population lives within a 200-kilometer radius of the FRA intermodal travel hub – the largest airport catchment area in Europe. FRA also serves as a magnet for other companies located throughout the economically vital Frankfurt-RMN (Rhine-MainNeckar) region. Thanks to synergies associated with the region’s dynamic industries, networked expertise, and outstanding intermodal transportation infrastructure, FRA’s world route network enables Germany’s export-oriented businesses to flourish in global markets. Likewise, FRA is a key gateway for companies wanting to access the huge European marketplace. Thus, Frankfurt Airport – which is strategically locat
MEDIA CONTACT: Angelika Heinbuch, Fraport AG, Spokesperson, Press Office, Corp. Communications, 60547 Frankfurt, Germany, Telephone: +49 69 690-28417, E-mail: a.heinbuch@fraport.de , Internet: www.fraport.com , Facebook: www.facebook.com/FrankfurtAirport
A piece of Bavaria is coming to Frankfurt Airport! This year again, the spirit of Germany’s best-known popular festival will also come alive in the shops and restaurants of the departure areas for passengers from around the world to enjoy. The marketplaces are decked out in traditional white-and-blue, offering travelers lots of promotions, activities, and offers attuned to the occasion.
The authentic beertent ambiance is enhanced by traditional Bavarian costumes and live music. Appropriately, there are attractive coupons and discounts for many of the stores as well as the online shop and rewards program. Plus: games to play, and restaurants and bistros serving typical culinary delights that range from white sausage and giant soft pretzels to fresh tap beer in one-liter mugs. Passengers can also get individually sugarinscribed gingerbread hearts to take with them as they fly off to distant destinations.
The white-and-blue color theme will also be featured on Frankfurt Airport’s website, online shop, rewards program and WeChat channel. English- and Chinese-speaking passengers can also look forward to a specially crafted online game. The promotions will last until the end of October.
More information about the wide range of services at Frankfurt Airport is available on the airport website, at the service shop, and via Frankfurt Airport’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
MEDIA CONTACT: Angelika Heinbuch, Fraport AG, Spokesperson, Press Office, Corp. Communications, 60547 Frankfurt, Germany, Telephone: +49 69 690-28417, E-mail: a.heinbuch@fraport.de , Internet: www.fraport.com , Facebook: www.facebook.com/FrankfurtAirport
Fraport AG will begin using real-time predictive runway arrival times, so called ‘ELDTs’ (Estimated Landing Times) delivered via FlightAware’s Firehose feed as an additional data source in the further optimization of airport operations at their home base of Frankfurt Airport. Fraport is one of the leading managers in the global airport business with activities at 30 airports worldwide. Offering the world’s largest flight tracking data platform, FlightAware is an industry leader in digital aviation solutions. The partnership gives Fraport access to precise, predicted runway arrival times, aircraft positions and flight status from FlightAware.
FlightAware’s ELDTs are optimized by machine-learning models, which are the premier product of the company’s state-of-the-art predictive technology program announced earlier this year. The models are based on statistical analysis of flight tracks and timestamps of hundreds of thousands of flights and are capable of identifying the key influencing factors determining the prediction of flight events in real-time. Fraport will integrate the data into their operational tools and analytical platforms to optimize airfield efficiency and ground personnel allocation at Frankfurt Airport.
“FlightAware’s innovative predictive technology will take Fraport’s operational excellence to the next level,” said Dr. Pierre Dominique Prümm, Fraport AG’s executive board member for aviation and infrastructure. “We are gaining a powerful real-time tool for advancing our Frankfurt Airport operations – benefitting both our airlines and passengers. Ultimately, we are reinforcing our commitment to ensure all passengers have a ‘good trip’ via Frankfurt Airport,” stressed Prümm.
With more direct routes than any other airport in the world, Frankfurt Airport plays a critical role in connecting passengers traveling through Europe. For the current summer timetable, the airport is served by 94 passenger airlines flying to 306 destinations in 98 countries worldwide. A total of 137 intercontinental destinations are available via Frankfurt – underscoring its role as a leading hub in the global air transportation system. In addition, Frankfurt Airport is handling an average of 1,500 flights per day – more than any other European airport.
“Traditionally, our data has been used to understand past or present events. Fraport’s use of our ELDTs is an important step for us and demonstrates our ability to predict future events,” said Daniel Baker, FlightAware Founder and CEO. “This will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the more than 70 million passengers traveling through Frankfurt Airport each year.”
FlightAware is a digital aviation company and operates the world’s largest flight tracking and data platform. With global connectivity to every segment of aviation, FlightAware provides over 10,000 aircraft operators and service providers as well as over 12,000,000 passengers with global flight tracking solutions, predictive technology, analytics, and decision-making tools.
FlightAware receives data from air traffic control systems in over 45 countries, FlightAware’s network of ADS-B ground stations in 195 countries, Aireon global space-based global ADS-B, and datalink (satellite/VHF) via every major provider, including ARINC, SITA, Satcom Direct, Garmin, and Honeywell GoDirect.
FlightAware’s HyperFeed® engine seamlessly fuses thousands of real-time, global data sources with FlightAware’s proprietary AI models and algorithms. Leveraging this data with FlightAware’s powerful, intuitive, responsive, and reliable web-based interfaces and APIs yields the world’s most comprehensive, capable, and useful flight tracking and digital aviation data platform.
One of the leading players in the global airport business, Fraport AG offers a wide range of operational and management solutions based on over 90 years of aviation expertise. Fraport’s portfolio of companies spans four continents with activities at 30 airports worldwide. In business year 2018, the Fraport Group generated sales of €3.48 billion and profit of about €506 million. More than 176 million passengers used airports around the world in which Fraport has more than a 50 percent stake during 2018. In its Mission Statement, Fraport places the focus on customers. The Group’s commitment to ensuring a “good trip” to all passengers and travelers is also reflected in the corporate slogan: “Gute Reise! We make it happen”. This commitment applies to all of Fraport’s business activities and services both at Germany’s largest aviation hub in Frankfurt and the Group’s airports worldwide.
At its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) home base, Fraport welcomed more than 69.5 million passengers and handled about 2.21 million metric tons of cargo (airfreight and airmail) in 2018. In Europe, Frankfurt Airport ranks first in terms of cargo tonnage and is the fourth busiest for passenger traffic. For the current summer timetable, FRA is served by 94 passenger airlines flying to 306 destinations in 98 countries worldwide. A total of 137 intercontinental destinations are served from FRA in the 2019 summer schedule – underscoring Frankfurt’s role as a leading hub in the global air transportation system.
Frankfurt Airport City has become Germany’s largest job complex at a single location, employing approximately 81,000 people at some 450 companies and organizations on site. Almost half of Germany’s population lives within a 200-kilometer radius of the FRA intermodal travel hub – the largest airport catchment area in Europe. FRA also serves as a magnet for other companies located throughout the economically vital Frankfurt/Rhine-Main-Neckar region. Thanks to synergies associated with the region’s dynamic industries, networked expertise, and outstanding intermodal transportation infrastructure, FRA’s world route network enables Germany’s export-oriented businesses to flourish in global markets. Likewise, FRA is a key gateway for companies wanting to access the huge European marketplace. Thus, Frankfurt Airport – which is strategically located in the heart of Europe – is one of the most important hubs in the global logistics chain.
www.fraport.com/ More news on FRAPORT https://www.eturbonews.com/?s=FRAPORT
MEDIA CONTACT: Yi-Chun Sandy Chen, Corporate Communications Media Relations, Fraport AG, 60547 Frankfurt am Main, Telephone: +49 69 690-28779, y.chen@fraport.de
‘Everyone has the potential to think creatively. Children are able to think of more than 60 new solutions per day in response to a problem. As we get older, this reduces to about six a day. Why not learn to think creatively again?’ Gebert Janssen, founder and CEO of the Party and Eventarchitect, and one of the speakers at IMEX in Frankfurt, summarises the challenge planners face in generating fresh content.
Many of the learning sessions at IMEX in Frankfurt, taking place 21 – 23 May (with EduMonday, May 20), focus on the topic of imagination, IMEX’s Talking Point for this year. The result is a wide range of learnings and insights delivered by experts from both within and outside the global business events industry.
Disruptive thinking
The team behind DUNDU, the giant puppet and previous playful addition to the show, will share their expertise on how to use art to boost playfulness in Puppet-thinking: where puppetry and design thinking collide. Sam McNeill, Song Division’s UK/Europe General Manager and one of the world’s most in-demand MC’s, will also explain the benefits of song writing as a route to problem-solving in Creating a culture of innovation.
True to their name, Marmalade on Toast will be taking an alternative approach to technology and innovation. Founder Simon Harmer thinks ‘the industry is ripe for disruption’ and will explain more in his session Using innovation to disrupt and engage. Meanwhile, the Editor-in-chief of Love Inc. Brittny Drye, will share her advice on creating authentic, inclusive content in Taking the next steps to becoming an equality-minded event business.
The topic of imagination will be expanded in a series of ‘Power chats’ delivered by some members of the IMEX Team. Based on first-hand experience, these interactive insights into the different facets of the show’s Imagination Talking Point will cover diversity and inclusion, imagination in action, and sustainability.
New for 2019 is PCMA’s #Iamremarkable workshop on EduMonday. Designed to tackle ‘gender-related modesty norms and glass ceilings’, this session will empower everyone taking part to speak openly about their accomplishments, in the workplace and beyond. It will be led by Katarzyna Seidl, Strategic Partner Manager in Global Partnerships Team at Google and Florian Ahle, global Brand Evangelist and Auto brand marketing expert who also teaches for the Google Digital Academy in London #iamremarkable is one of three specially-tailored PCMA workshops, with the next at PCMA’s EduCon in Los Angeles in June and the third at IMEX America in September.
Experiences alongside education
New experiences and activities introduced at this year’s show will fire up the imagination of planners and exhibitors alike. Many of these can be found at the show’s new Discovery Zone which is home to holograms, robots, illusionists, music and art along with a few surprises. EduMonday on May 20 at Kap Europa will showcase its own ‘Imagination Zone’ where attendees can tap into their artistic streak at a painting party or unleash some fancy moves at a silent disco.
‘Creative collisions’
Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, explains: “With over 250 educational events over four days, we have designed this year’s programme to supercharge the skills of planners and exhibitors alike. This year’s focus – imagination – takes learning to a new level with advice, stories and direction from boundary breaking experts from inside and outside of our industry.
“It’s been wonderful to see so many partners, one being MPI, leveraging our Talking Point and using it to rethink their engagement and education delivery at the show. They’re a great example of a partner who asked ‘what if….?’ and came up with some fresh new concepts as a result.
“With such a diverse combination of learning, experiences, connections and a huge dose of memorable surprises, we’re expecting some exciting, creative collisions and, of course, plenty of bumper business meetings between buyers and suppliers in a few weeks’ time!”
IMEX in Frankfurt takes place 21 – 23 May 2019. Registration for the show is free of charge and open to all who work in the meetings, events and incentive travel industry. EduMonday takes place the day before the show, on Monday 20 May, and is free to enter following registration for IMEX in Frankfurt.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Emma Ward, emma.ward@imexexhibitions.com ; Chris Lewis, chris.lewis@imexexhibitions.com
Fraport AG laid the cornerstone for Frankfurt Airport’s new Terminal 3, one of Europe’s largest privately financed infrastructure projects. Numerous guests and construction workers attended the ceremony, which marked the start of above-ground construction. To remind future generations of this milestone, a group of participants filled and bricked in a time capsule. They included Dr. Thomas Schäfer, Minister of Finance of the German state of Hesse, and architect Prof. Christoph Mäckler, as well as Fraport AG’s executive board chairman, Dr. Stefan Schulte, and its supervisory board chairman, Karlheinz Weimar. During periods of peak activity, up to 5,000 construction workers a day and around 75 tower cranes will be deployed at the Terminal 3 construction site.
During the ceremony, Fraport CEO Schulte stated: “We are building the future with Terminal 3―for Frankfurt Airport, the entire Rhine-Main region and far beyond. By employing state-of-the-art technology and intelligent processes to create an outstanding passenger experience, we are meeting the promise inherent in our slogan, ‘Gute Reise! We make it happen’. With the new terminal, we are adding sufficient capacity for about 21 million more travelers annually by the year 2023. Frankfurt is already an international leader in terms of connectivity. No other aviation hub in the world offers more destinations to business or leisure travelers than Frankfurt Airport. And Terminal 3 will further strengthen Germany’s most important gateway to the world.”
Finance Minister Schäfer said: “Today we aren’t just laying the cornerstone for a new airport building. We are also establishing the basis for more jobs, more opportunities, and greater economic vitality. The construction of Terminal 3 is an important step for strengthening the airport’s competitiveness and therefore also that of the state of Hesse as a center of economic activity. Over the next few years, Fraport AG will invest up to four billion euros in the project. This has the potential to create many new jobs while increasing the importance of Frankfurt Airport as Germany’s largest place of employment. But even though the airport is the powerhouse of Hesse’s economy, this doesn’t mean that it has free rein. The state government will continue to insist that the aviation industry uphold its strong commitment to reducing noise and environmental burdens.”
Terminal 3’s Pier G, with capacity for up to five million passengers, will be completed by 2021 in the southern part of Frankfurt Airport. This modern facility will later be integrated into Terminal 3’s premium product. The plans call for the main terminal building, along with Piers H and J, to be completed in 2023. As a result, the airport will then be able to handle up to 21 million more passengers than now. There will be an option to later add a Pier K, thus increasing the new terminal’s total capacity to 25 million air travelers.
Fraport supervisory board chairman Weimar added: “Frankfurt Airport is a premium air traffic hub. This is obvious from the growing number of travelers wishing to fly from and via Frankfurt. In view of the buoyant growth in passenger volumes, it is high time to enlarge our capacity. So it’s good news that one pier can be completed ahead of the rest. Pier G will begin operating and providing additional capacity as early as 2021. This leaves no doubt that we were right to opt for an architectural design that could be flexibly adjusted as required.”
Architect Christoph Mäckler explained the terminal’s design as follows: “What passengers want before and after flying is, more than anything else, rest and relaxation. This was an essential leitmotif for designing Terminal 3, alongside maximizing the technical and functional flexibility of the building complex. The light-flooded interior spaces feature high-quality materials in warm natural hues to evoke a pleasant ambiance that invites passengers to relax and stay a while. In this respect, the new terminal will be the first of a new generation worldwide.”
Fraport Ausbau Süd GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fraport AG, is responsible for managing, supervising and monitoring the construction project. The approved budget amounts to between 3.5 and four billion euros, Fraport’s largest single investment at Frankfurt Airport. Some 500 individual contracts are being awarded for a wide variety of tasks, which is benefitting a large number of small and midsized construction companies, including in the Frankfurt region.
MEDIA CONTACT: Fraport AG, Angelika Heinbuch, Spokesperson, Press Office, Corp. Communications, 60547 Frankfurt, Germany, Telephone: +49 69 690-28417, E-mail: a.heinbuch@fraport.de , Internet: www.fraport.com , Facebook: www.facebook.com/FrankfurtAirport
“My personal hero today is Ms. Patricia Dzai. Patricia works for Swissport in Johannesburg, South Africa,” said eTN Publisher Juergen Steinmetz. Swissport is one of the largest aviation ground-handling agencies operating in countries around the world.
Major airlines hire Swissport to manage customer relations and logistics when it comes to baggage handling, including lost or misplaced items.
Lufthansa German Airlines’ ground handler in Johannesburg is Swissport. I recently traveled from Nice to Cape Town via Frankfurt and Johannesburg on Lufthansa German Airlines. I am a United Airlines Star Alliance Gold member and traveled on Lufthansa in Business class. Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance.
When I arrived in Johannesburg, I heard my name called by Lufthansa’s lost baggage office handled by Swissport.
I was told my tube was still in Frankfurt, and they would put it on the next flight to Johannesburg. I explained it was of utmost importance to have the tube for an important trade show event, the World Travel Market in Cape Town, in the morning.
Patricia Dzai, the Swissport agent in Johannesburg, wanted to make sure this would be possible and sent an urgent message to Lufthansa in Frankfurt. The message said:
I was pleased to know my tube would go on LH 576 directly to Cape Town almost in time for the start of World Travel Market.
I went on to fly to Cape Town and received a text message in the evening saying my tube would be on the Lufthansa flight to Johannesburg, which was different from what Patricia had requested. Since it was late and the Swissport office in Johannesburg was closed, I was able to find a non-published phone number for Lufthansa baggage service in Frankfurt. Lufthansa, like most airlines, is hiding phone numbers to encourage passengers to communicate only by email.
I was told by Lufthansa Baggage Service in Frankfurt no such message to forward my tube to Cape Town was ever received by Swissport Johannesburg. The agent went on to say that passengers are often not told the truth by Swissport agents.
The Lufthansa agent in Frankfurt explained that his job was not to help me, since this was only handled in Johannesburg. I argued my tube is in Frankfurt and not Johannesburg, and the handling agent for Swissport in Johannesburg was closed.
The agent then said he was now doing a one-time exception for me and would reroute my tube on LH576 directly to Cape Town. He said there were 5 hours to get this done, still plenty of time according to him.
The next day I received another message telling me again the tube was on its way to Johannesburg instead of Cape Town.
I called Swissport in Johannesburg, and the news not could have been worse. They told me, apologizing, that my tube was still in Frankfurt for a second day, and they did not know why.
I again called the baggage-handling office in Frankfurt and was again told it’s all Swissport’s mistake for not telling them where to send it.
This time I was angry and called Swissport Johannesburg again. I asked Patricia why she was lying about this. I told her she never sent this request to Frankfurt, according to Lufthansa.
Ten minutes later, I received an email with a time-stamped screenshot from Patricia Dzai showing me exactly what was requested by her in the first place.
Patricia actually had gone out of her way originally to make sure I would be united with my tube on time and in Cape Town. I felt bad thinking she didn’t care and didn’t do anything, when in fact she did.
It shows that big companies like Lufthansa have a serious customer service issue. They hide behind a huge system and are trained to say it’s not their job and simply blame others for company shortcomings.
There was no way I could talk to anyone at Lufthansa about this, and my urgent email to them on the day I was trying to get the tube re-routed was just responded to 2 weeks after I was already back home in Hawaii. Lufthansa offered a 200 euro compensation.
No explanation was given and no apology for accusing Patricia Dzai and Swissport for not doing their job.
I finally received my tube on the last day after the trade show and took it back to the US unopened. When I changed planes in Frankfurt, I asked the agent working in the Senator Lounge to speak to a supervisor in baggage handling about this case and compensation. She told me I have to send an email, which I had already done days ago.
She gave me some chocolate and said they get customers’ complaints all the time and do their best to help and respond, but the back-up system by the airline is not there.
It’s all about a giant non-caring anonymous machine.
I extend my apologies to Patricia Dzai from Swissport, as I now understand she was also a victim of shortcomings created by Lufthansa German Airlines.
Patricia Dzai is the eTN Hero for today.
IMEX in Frankfurt has invited exhibitors at this year’s show (21 -23 May) to make a Sustainable Exhibiting Pledge as it continues to increase its commitment to demonstrating and leading through best practice in sustainability.
Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, said: “Our approach to sustainability is to lead by example, to encourage others to aim higher and to shine a spotlight on key industry campaigns. This year I’m inviting exhibitors to make a sustainable exhibiting pledge, to implement three simple green initiatives to help reduce their environmental impact at the show. A list of ideas on how to do this features in our IMEX in Frankfurt 2019 Sustainable Exhibiting Guide.”
In January the IMEX Group highlighted its commitment by making sustainability the third ‘pillar’ of this year’s IMEX Talking Point “Imagination.”
Carina Bauer explained: “We’re asking everyone in the global meetings industry to imagine a new beginning: to ask what if we all really committed to cutting down waste?
“We’ve continued to improve our own sustainability performance at both of our shows each year and we’re proud to say that our Frankfurt show is now 100 per cent hydro-powered. Thanks to our waste donation program plus the responsible recycling systems at Messe Frankfurt, we now send zero waste to landfill. This is virtually unheard of in the exhibition business!
“Our work to reduce and recycle more waste generated by both exhibitors and visitors is explained in our first ever IMEX in Frankfurt sustainability report which joins our annual IMEX America sustainability report.”
In line with its determination to lead the industry forward, IMEX was a launch partner when the Events Industry Council introduced its Principles of Sustainable Events in January after hosting two forums at IMEX in Frankfurt and IMEX America in 2018 when these principles were formulated.
A further element of its commitment to leading the industry, the IMEX team believes in sharing what it knows and has learned through experience. At IMEX in Frankfurt, learning about sustainability will feature prominently throughout the show. Starting on EduMonday, 20 May, there will be more than 20 opportunities to learn about sustainability among the 250 plus sessions in the extensive education program at the Inspiration Hub. What’s more, the first ever Sustainability Policy Round table, supported by Edmonton, will bring together industry leaders and experts to share insights at the InterContinental Frankfurt on 21 May.
Furthermore, in partnership with the Events Industry Council (EIC), IMEX will salute an organization making a significant commitment to reducing its environmental impact by announcing the winner of the IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award at the IMEX Gala Dinner on 22 May.
Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, says: “At both shows we continue to work closely with our partners including Meet Green, EIC, The Venetian®| The Palazzo® and the Sands Expo®, Messe Frankfurt and GES. We are wholeheartedly committed to providing education, inspiration and leadership on sustainability issues. The business events industry still has a long way to go before thinking green is the first thought, not the last.”
