Beat Out Competition Including Emirates, FedEx

The purchase of the Parchim Airport, near Hamburg, Germany, by Zhengzhou, China-based freight-forwarding company LinkGlobal Logistics was given final approval by the interior ministry of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania state.

The company assumed operations Monday, according to the China Times.

Pang Yuliang, LinkGlobal chairman, beat out 10 other competitors -- including FedEx, Hamburg Airport and Dubai-based Emirates -- for the $130 million deal. The company now owns 100 percent property rights to the airport and its facilities, as well as land in an economic cooperation zone.

The company reportedly plans to run air cargo services as well as weekly passenger charter flights between China and Germany.

One attractive factor about SZW, while many airports in Germany attempt to control noise by banning air traffic after midnight, SZW is allowed to operate around-the-clock.

SZW is a former Soviet airbase and was intended to become a provincial airport in the 1990s but lost money after failing to attract business. The airport now specializes in air freight.

FMI: www.airport-parchim.de, www.globallinklogistics.com