Belgians main airport, Brussels Airport has announced an increase of cargo volumes from January to June 2015 by 9.7% year-on-year.
The airport’s traffic went up with nearly double-digit figures every month since the beginning of 2015. During the first six months of 2015, Brussels airport handled 244,982 tons, compared to the 223,310 for the same period in 2014.
Cargo on freighter operator services was 72,994 tons, an 18.1%rise on the 61,826 from January to June 2014. Integrator cargo was 99,057, a year-on-year surge of 8.7%. The remainder of 72,891 was belly hold cargo, an increase of 3.6%.
In June alone, there was a 15.9% y-o-y increase to 43,187 tonnes, up from 37,262 in June 2014. Cargo on freighter carriers was 13,726 tons, a substantial y-o-y rise of 41.6% on the 9,694 in June last year. Integrator cargo rose YOY by 12.4% to 17,177 tons, up on the 15,283 in June 2014. In June, belly hold cargo was flat and almost the same as June last year at 12,284 tons, two tons less.
June’s total was the second busiest month for cargo volumes in 2015 at Brussels Airport, but the biggest y-o-y monthly rise so far.
In May, cargo volumes grew 7.7% YOY to 40,535 tons. In April there was a six per cent y-o-y rise to 41,105. In March there was an 8.2% YOY growth to 43,785 tons. In February there was an 11.7% y-o-y increase to 38,463 and in January there was an uplift of 9.4% to 37,869.
Brussels Airport says the growth in the first half of 2015 has been driven by the arrival in the past 12 months of new freighter airlines: Ethiopian Airlines Cargo, Qatar Airways Cargo, Yangtze River Express and KF Aerospace.
Brussels Airport Company chief executive officer, Arnaud Feist, explains: “The strong growth in cargo recorded over the first six months confirms the growing importance of Brussels Airport as a primary logistics hub in Europe.”
