Leipzig/Halle Airport has registered a "strong level of demand" in its cargo business during the first quarter of 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic causing disruption to the global aviation sector.
The airport almost maintained the same level of freight volumes as in 2019: it handled 297,315 tonnes during the first three months of this year — a decline of 1.5% year on year.
Leipzig/Halle's airfreight volumes in March totalled 107,583 tonnes — a 2.6% year-on-year decrease. The slight decline was due to a reduction in cargo flights to and from Asia as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the airport noted that "this figure has already started to recover since the middle of March".
With as many as 190 take-offs and landings per day, Leipzig/Halle Airport has maintained its position as one of the busiest airports in Europe throughout the month of April, according to Eurocontrol. The airport is the second-largest cargo hub in Germany and the fifth-largest airfreight hub in Europe.
Leipzig/Halle said its role in maintaining flows of goods and supply chains, particularly since the coronavirus outbreak, has helped it to maintain airfreight traffic.
"There has been particular demand for handling express freight, medical protective equipment and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products – and there is no sign of this diminishing," it noted.
