Vienna Airport has reported a significant rise in air cargo handling during the first half of 2024, processing a total of 141,118 tonnes between January and June.
This represents an impressive 17% year-on-year increase, adding 20,861 tonnes compared to the same period last year. Notably, this level also exceeded pre-pandemic figures by 4%.
Pharmaceutical cargo handling also saw a robust uptick, with the airport processing 1,825 tonnes, marking an 8.2% growth in this sector.
The upward trend continued into July 2024, with the airport recording 24,808 tonnes of air freight, reflecting a substantial 21.1% increase from the previous year. The airport says this growth has been largely driven by the surge in passenger traffic, which has created additional capacity for belly freight within airline cargo holds.
Consequently, belly freight tonnage soared by 47% to 57,594 tonnes in the first half of 2024, compared to the same period last year.
On the other hand, cargo volumes carried by dedicated freighter aircraft saw a decline of 8%, dropping to 41,142 tonnes. The airport says this decrease can be attributed to a shift in capacity towards passenger aircraft and one-off effects from the previous year. However, the overall strong performance was bolstered by a 17% increase in trucked air freight, which reached 42,382 tonnes.
Vienna Airport says the growth in air cargo was evenly split between imports and exports. Just over 78,000 tonnes of inbound air freight was recorded, destined for distribution across Austria and neighbouring markets in Central and Eastern Europe, marking a 16% increase from the first half of 2023.
Meanwhile, 63,089 tonnes of goods were exported from Vienna to destinations worldwide, reflecting a 19% rise over the same period last year.
Julian Jäger, joint chief executive and chief operating officer of Vienna Airport, said: “Cargo volumes are developing extremely well. In July 2024, air cargo volumes were already higher than in 2019, the year before the coronavirus pandemic. This shows that our strategy is working.
“We are focusing on innovative logistics solutions, first-class infrastructure and the highest handling quality. This positive development strengthens our location and underscores our importance as a central hub for global airfreight.”
Michael Zach, senior vice president of ground handling and cargo operations at Flughafen Wien AG, said: “We seamlessly continued the positive development that we have seen since the beginning of the year during the second quarter. Demand remains robust, particularly on routes to North America and Asia.
“Vienna Airport offers outstanding conditions for handling growing cargo volumes quickly and reliably. The handling services provided by our Pharma Handling Center are also more sought-after and are well-equipped for further growth.”
READ MORE NEWS: Increased belly cargo boosts freight numbers at Vienna Airport
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