Joachim von Winning is the Director of Cargo Partnerships at Frankfurt Airport, bringing 25 years of experience across the industry, including ground handling, real estate, retail, food and beverage, and air cargo. Throughout his career, he has held key roles, notably serving as Chief Commercial Officer of Cairo Airport during the Arab Spring and spending eight years as the Executive Director of Frankfurt’s Air Cargo Community.

Since 2023, von Winning has been focused on strengthening industry collaboration and enhancing Frankfurt’s position as a leading global cargo hub. He holds an MA in Logistics and IT from the University of Mannheim and an MBA from the University of Nottingham, combining academic expertise with extensive practical experience in airport operations and air cargo logistics.

How did you get into airfreight/logistics?

After studying logistics as my major and serving on the German board of AIESEC, the international student organisation, it was clear that my career would be in global logistics. Coming from the southwest of Germany, maritime shipping wasn’t a natural fit, so aviation was the logical choice.

What quote has most resonated with you?

It’s not the most historic quote, but I recently heard “groups prefer their members,” which explains so many things.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

“Erst schlucken, dann lachen” (First swallow, then laugh).

What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done?

Skydiving during my internship in South Africa.

If you could have dinner with any three people, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Friedrich von Hayek for his insights into economics, Adam Smith for his foundational work in economic theory, and Margot Robbie for her “fascinating stories from the film industry” (don’t tell my girlfriend)

What’s something we wouldn’t know about you from your CV?

I love Scottish whisky and twice a year, I host a whisky evening with a friend, where I also cook with whisky.

What hobby have you always wanted to try but never got around to?

I’ve always wanted to complete my skydiving certification. I started it in South Africa but couldn’t finish because my internship ended.

If you hadn’t pursued a career in airfreight, what other field would you have liked to go into?

I would have liked to go into photography. Although I had the ambition, I lacked the talent.

What’s your most memorable moment in the air cargo industry?

When a dear friend and integral part of our community was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. The entire community came together in support, organising an airport-wide typing campaign for the national bone marrow database. The first person to contact me to offer their support was our liaison officer from customs.

What was your dream job as a child?

As a child, my dream job was to be a conductor on the island railway on Borkum. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry? How Frankfurt’s air cargo community transformed from a fragmented group into a genuine, cohesive community.

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever shipped?

At the very beginning of my career, FedEx transported a whale via Frankfurt Airport. I’ve encountered many more mind-boggling shipments since then, but nothing has yet surpassed that whale.

What’s one buzzword you secretly dislike?

It used to be “blockchain,” but now it’s “e-commerce.”

Window or aisle seat?

Window seat.

What’s the best business lesson you’ve learned the hard way?

Choose your boss wisely.

If you could swap jobs with anyone for a day, who would it be?

A luxury travel blogger. I’d love to explore exotic destinations and share those experiences with a wide audience, but I’d prefer if someone else wrote the travel blog!

Which three items would you bring to a desert island?

My partner (although I think she would object to being considered an item), a survival kit, and a fully loaded eBook reader with a solar panel charger. Tea or coffee? It used to be tea, now it’s coffee.

What’s your guilty pleasure TV show or movie?

“Love Actually.” The opening and closing sequences resonate with why we work in aviation, and I get to experience that magic every day on my way to and from the office.