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DALLAS — Aviation is in a progress evolution process to be safer and also to be sustainable, which means that new planes will join the market; usually, these planes will consume less fuel, make less noise, and be a cheaper option for airlines to operate, but some older planes continue operating flights.
This month, Köln-Bonn Airport (CGN) says goodbye to one of those planes, the mighty MD-11.
Köln as a Cargo Hub
Köln-Bonn Airport is an important Cargo Hub in western Germany. This airport functions as a European operations center for American cargo airlines FedEx (FX) and UPS (5X); these airlines and Lufthansa Cargo (LH) have operated the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F since the early 2000s.
In 2009, FX introduced the Boeing 777-F as part of the fleet's modernization plan, and in 2012, they started using it for the Koln (CGN) routes from/to the USA and the world. The Boeing 777-F can load seven tons more than the MD-11F, producing 18% less CO2 emissions. 5X has chosen the Boeing 747-8F to replace their older aircraft like the MD-11F and operate the 747-8F on their routes to/from Köln-Bonn Airport (CGN).
In January 2013, CGN presented a law that says that louder aircraft should pay more, mainly when operating during the night; this law came into effect in May 2013; for the MD-11F, the day charge increased from €140 to 375, and for night operations, the charge increased from €280 to 925.
This law was created as an incentive for airlines that operate flights to Köln with low-noise and modern planes. FedEx was the first airline to change their flights, replacing the MD-11F with the Boeing 777-F and saving a lot of money monthly on landing fees.
In June 2014, the airport considered the change of landing fees to bearing fruits because the MD-11F operations were reduced to 398 in the first four months of the year, almost halved compared to 2012, which means in 2012, the airport was receiving 6 MD-11F daily and was reduced to 3 daily for 2014.
Köln-Bonn Airport, after years of trying to reduce the MD-11F regular flights to zero due to its noise, made it possible in February 2024 and confirmed this on a press conference with the airport directives, together with UPS representants and NRW Gouverneur.
Currently, the only way to see an MD-11 operating in CGN is when an airline decides to operate a charter cargo flight and pay for the expensive landing fees or when airlines operate flights for the US Transportation Command (CMB). But for the moment, it is time to say goodbye to the weekly MD-11F flights to/from Köln.
Featured image: FedEx MD-11F at Köln. Photo: Fabrizio Spicuglia/Airways
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