GSP partners with Frankfurt-Hahn Airport on passenger, air cargo practices

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport plans to collaborate with operators of a German airport of similar circumstances on how to best serve their regions and customers.

The Greenville-Spartanburg Airport District has signed a new partnership agreement with TRIWO Hahn Airport GmbH in Germany. Under the agreement, GSP and Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (HHN), located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region, will explore opportunities to collaborate on initiatives to enhance passenger and air cargo activity at both airports, according to a news release. Efforts will include the formation of technical groups focused on sharing best practices in operations, technology, safety, sustainability and customer service.

Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is one of the few airports in Germany with a 24-hour operating permit. Thanks to its central location among the cities of Frankfurt, Cologne and Luxembourg, HHN can effectively serve major manufacturing and logistics areas across the European Union and provide air access to the Middle East and Asia, according to the release. Similarly, GSP’s location in the Southeast allows the airport to be a perfect entry to the United States and a transfer point between Europe, Mexico, Canada and South America.

The airports plan to initially collaborate to expand air cargo opportunities between South Carolina and Rhineland-Palatinate through the expansion of existing lines of trade and the development of new cargo business between each airport, according to the release.

“GSP and HHN have worked together on numerous successful air cargo projects over the years,” Dave Edwards, president and CEO for the GSP Airport District, said in the release. “Our teams were recently able to meet face-to-face and found that we shared similar challenges and opportunities. Agreeing to work together for the betterment of our airports and regions is an exciting next step in our relationship. We look forward to working with our new European airport partners.”

“We are delighted to formalize our partnership with GSP,” Ruediger Franke, managing director and CEO of HHN, said in the release. “This collaboration is a testament to our shared vision for growth and innovation. By combining our strengths and sharing best practices, we can create new opportunities for both passenger and cargo traffic between our regions and customers. We look forward to a fruitful and long-lasting relationship that benefits both airports and our respective regions.”

GSP offers 29 year-round destinations while HHN offers 25 year-round and another 12 seasonally. GSP handled 2.9 million passengers in 2024; HHN had 1.9 million. HHN carries 105,000 tons of air freight annually while GSP accommodates about 60,000 tons.

Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is located in the middle of the “Blue Banana,” one of the most important economic areas in Europe, which stretches across Europe from Marseille via Switzerland, western Germany and Benelux to London — which is particularly advantageous for the cargo sector, according to the release.