A sharp decline in maindeck cargo on freighters saw Brussels Airport's monthly cargo volumes fall 3.2% in January 2019 , despite an increase in bellyhold and trucked cargo.
The European hub handled 55,030 tons last month, down from 56,846 tons in January 2017.
Said a spokesperson for the Belgian airport: “Cargo carried on board of full-freighter aircraft declined by 17.3% [to 11,283 tons] compared with the same month last year.
“This decrease is mainly due to the fact that certain airlines cut back their flights.
“Cargo carried by express operators is decreasing in weight (-5.2%), which is the trend in recent months where e-commerce is increasing. These products have a lighter weight than traditional cargo.”
The spokesperson added: "It is the first time in months that the freight sector at Brussels Airport records a slightly negative growth. The decrease in cargo traffic was already observed in other European airports in November and December.
“The increase in the number of long-haul flights generated an increase of 8.5% in belly cargo compared to January last year. Trucked cargo grew by 3.5%.”
Brussels Airport welcomed almost 1.7m passengers in January, up 2.6% on the same month in 2018.
