BIG European air cargo hub Schiphol has achieved modest cargo growth throughout the first half of this year.
The total of 736,608 tonnes handled through the Dutch airport is an increase of 1.02 per cent on 2012.
Schiphol’s largest market remains Asia: the total of 281,410 tonnes (up three per cent) was 38.2 per cent of all cargo. Exports to Asia rose six per cent to 140,388 tonnes; imports from Asia rose fractionally, during the six-month period.
North America is Schiphol’s second largest market, with imports up three per cent.
Air shipments to and from the Middle East produced an overall improvement of nine per cent. An increase in imports from that region was largely due to the entry of various Middle East carriers into the Africa-Amsterdam flower trade, resulting in transhipments via the Middle East and re-classification of some Africa-originating traffic.
Enno Osinga, senior vice-president of Schiphol Cargo, notes: “2013 is showing a similar pattern to 2012 so far, with an early peak around March.
“There has been a one per cent decline in freighter flights, which reflects the tightening of freighter capacity by some carriers in the face of rising costs and soft rates,” he adds.
