The IPZ letter and parcel center operated by DHL and Deutsche Post is located at Frankfurt Airport and is responsible for handling international shipments. IPZ means international mail center. The location code of the IPZ is DEFRAA (Frankfurt am Main). Around 1,500 employees work here in shifts around the clock.

The head of the IPZ stated that around 400,000 to 450,000 programs from non-EU countries arrive in Frankfurt every day. At the peak before Christmas, the amount doubles. 80% of the shipments come from Asia.

From the apron of the airport, the shipments are first transported to the Airmail Center in Frankfurt in small vans and then on to the IPZ. The mail items stowed in bags and bundles are opened, separated according to format and poured onto sorting belts that are kilometers long.

Outgoing mail, i.e. from Germany to other countries, is X-rayed before it is loaded onto the aircraft. This means that dangerous content such as smartphones (battery explosion hazard) is recognized and sorted out. In the past, a few X-ray samples were sufficient, but now the entire shipment volume is X-rayed.