Mayor Eddie Francis and two city councillors were headed to Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday to sign an agreement with a Lufthansa subsidiary to conduct a $220,000 economic feasibility study for creation of a perishable goods and cargo centre at Windsor Airport.

The study will take four months to complete and will determine whether Windsor can become a viable air freight hub.

Francis, who has travelled to meetings and tours in Frankfurt over the past year to learn more about the sector, believes Windsor is an ideal site given the swath of vacant land at the airport, proximity to the U.S. and central location to several major cities.

“What we have been doing the past year was investigate, research and develop partnerships that can develop the air cargo business in the Windsor-Essex region,” Francis said.

“Cargo and jobs at the airport have been talked about for a long time, but it’s not going to happen just by talking about it. A world-leading aviation group has agreed to help us with the next important steps.”

Frankfurt is the largest air freight hub in Europe and seventh largest in the world. Combined with its passenger traffic, it is one of the busiest airports in the world.

The Lufthansa subsidiary will develop a business case after investigating this market’s financial potential and requirements to operate an air cargo terminal and perishable goods centre at Windsor Airport.

“This is not about opening a place with four walls and a roof, but about developing a new economy,” Francis said.

“If the study says there is no market potential, then that’s it — the end of it. But I know this can work based on what I have seen.”

If deemed worthy after the study’s completion, the next steps would be to determine site selection on the airport lands, size of facilities and the investment required. A final phase would be design and construction.

Councillors Drew Dilkens and Ken Lewenza Jr. — both recently appointed to the airport’s new board of directors — were to accompany Francis on today’s one-day trip.

The three were to land in Frankfurt at 7 a.m., sign the agreement, be given a tour of the German airport’s massive cargo operations and board a 7 p.m. flight home.

“They are on the board and I think it will be helpful and informative to see this operation in play,” Francis said of the two councillors.

“What the (councillors) will see is the cargo city in Frankfurt and what we want to replicate and build here. It will be well worth it for them as we try and move forward to secure the investment.”

Lewenza Jr. said his focus is to learn how much Windsorites can benefit in terms of jobs from an air freight industry.

“I want to see the size of the operation, how many jobs it creates and what type of jobs. I want to see how local and regional business can tap into such an effort,” he said.

“We will get to talk to people who have an expertise and success in this area. It’s also an opportunity to network and build some relationships as Windsor moves forward on this initiative.”

Based on proximity to the border and availability of land, water, and rail movement of goods, Windsor sits in a great position for such a centre, Lewenza said.

Dilkens said the trip will help him determine whether an air cargo centre is something to be aggressively pursued.

“Potentially this can be a very special project, but you want to know what you are doing before getting into something like this,” he said.

“It’s a whole day to see how a perishables centre operates. We get to see firsthand what we have only heard about. We will see how amazing this has been for Frankfurt and the European Union and see if the possibility is there for this region.”

Moving into the air cargo business is not about building the infrastructure and then hoping the industry will come, Francis said.

“You need to have the right partners, plans and strategy. It needs to be carefully developed to meet the needs of the air carriers, logistics providers and freight forwarders.”

He couldn’t estimate how many jobs the project would create.

The impact on neighbourhoods around the airport will be addressed in the study, Francis said.