Fraport AG
Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide
60547 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
FRA CargoTeam
Your first point of contact for all cargo and logistics matters at Fraport AG
From Frankfurt to the World: The Journey of Sensitive Pharmaceutical Cargo
July 1, 2025
Whether it's vaccines, temperature-sensitive medication, or biotech products: at the Frankfurt CargoHub, a carefully coordinated network ensures sensitive pharmaceutical products reach their destinations in a safe and timely manner. In this series, we follow participants throughout the process – from the road, to the handling facility, right through to the aircraft:
It’s 5:00 a.m. on the apron at Frankfurt Airport. At a time when lots of people are still asleep, Stefanie Wenda and Gilbert Minnert are just starting their early shift at Fraport Ground Services. The two of them transport sensitive cargo at Europe’s largest pharmaceutical hub. In these early morning hours, they remain unaware that they will soon be entrusted with a potentially life-saving cargo assignment.
Sensitive Cargo
Nowadays, pharmaceutical cargo must be handled differently from other types of cargo due to the importance of the medications and vaccines involved. These items are often vital and highly temperature-sensitive; even a single degree too low can render a vaccine unusable or insufficiently protective for the recipient. This is why Stefanie Wenda pursued pharmaceutical training early in her career in the cargo sector. Her trainer, Gilbert Minnert, has been training cargo drivers like Stefanie for twelve years.
Gilbert says that after studying mechanical engineering, he chanced upon a job at Frankfurt Airport and stayed because of the people: “The crew here was so cool and my colleagues were so funny. It just clicked,” he says with a smile. “It’s important that we train as many people as possible about pharmaceuticals, as many things can go wrong here. For instance, the temperature in the transport vehicle must be set correctly, and no damage must be overlooked when inspecting the cargo,” he explains. Gilbert speaks from experience, having worked as a cargo driver for 35 years.
Stefanie, Gilbert’s former trainee, worked in retail before coming to the airport. She has never regretted the switch: “I’m still incredibly happy here,” she says. When asked about her traineeship, Gilbert replies: “Excellent. She was always dedicated and wanted to do a further qualification for pharmaceuticals straight away. So training her was really easy.”
“Pharma Inside”: The Journey of Pharmaceutical Consignments
Special temperature-controlled transporters, known as KTTs, are used for transportation at the airport. These refrigerated units, pulled by tractors, can maintain temperatures ranging from -30 to +30 degrees Celsius. In addition to vaccines, valuable artworks are sometimes transported to aircraft using KTTs, as these items are also sensitive to temperature fluctuations. "Everything must be transported at exactly the right temperature," Gilbert explains. "The temperature must not deviate, and the refrigeration chain must remain unbroken. The order specifies the exact temperature at which the cargo must be carried."
Meanwhile, he glances at his tablet, on which a job for him and Stefanie has just arrived. Their task: to take a vaccine from the transshipment warehouse to the aircraft. The temperature-controlled transporter for this job is already waiting on the apron. It is a large trailer, easily identifiable by the inscription “Pharma Inside” and a depiction of a scientist in a laboratory.
It's 6:00 a.m. Gilbert and Stefanie are connecting the trailer to the tractor. Setting the correct temperature is crucial, and Gilbert takes responsibility for this task. The vaccine must be transported at seven degrees Celsius, while the outside temperature is currently 18 degrees. The temperature setting is adjusted on the exterior of the refrigerated transporter. "That way, we ensure that the temperature remains exactly at seven degrees," Stefanie explains, checking the display with an expert eye. Everything is in order.
Now fully prepared, Gilbert and Stefanie take their seats in the tractor and drive to the transshipment warehouse on the south side of the airport to pick up the vaccine. Upon arrival, Gilbert carefully examines the cargo, which is ready for collection in a pharmaceutical container. He verifies several critical aspects: Is the temperature of the cargo correct? Does the temperature indicated on the consignment match that of the temperature-controlled transporter? Is the container holding the vaccine undamaged?
With everything in order, Gilbert and Stefanie load the sensitive cargo onto the vehicle and proceed to the aircraft. Upon arrival, they carefully unload the temperature-controlled transporter and hand over the pharmaceutical container with the vaccine to the colleagues responsible for handling the aircraft. Gilbert and Stefanie successfully complete their task by 7:30 a.m. From this point, the vaccine is loaded onto the aircraft bound for Canada.
Loading Cargo Around the Clock
At 2:00 p.m., Stefanie and Gilbert wrap up their early shift. However, they don't always finish work at this time. Their upcoming night shift will extend long beyond the departure of the last plane. Despite the night flight ban in Frankfurt, cargo operations continue during these hours. "Many people think that nothing happens at the airport at night," Gilbert explains, adding, "Although night flights are banned, the last planes, often cargo planes, arrive at 11:00 p.m. In such cases, the cargo must be handled overnight. The first planes depart at 5:00 a.m., so the cargo and empty containers need to be prepared. Essentially, we're just as busy at night as during the day."
Gilbert and Stefanie take great pleasure in their work every single day. "We help each other out. For me, it's perfect here," Stefanie shares. Gilbert agrees, emphasizing that the team is a crucial part of the work environment. This spirit of teamwork and dedication is precisely what makes Gilbert, Stefanie, and their entire team an essential part of the pharmaceutical hub at Frankfurt Airport.
For further information, background details, and quotes from Air Cargo Community Frankfurt and the Frankfurt pharmaceutical hub, please visit our website: 
