Schiphol Cargo reports 8% increase in 2024 on e-commerce push
Air cargo growth also driven by various global geo-political developments and ocean shipping restrictions.
Total air cargo tonnage at Schiphol Cargo reached 1.5 million tonnes in 2024, an 8.2 percent increase from 2023.
Electronics, machinery and spare parts, perishables, clothing, e-commerce goods and pharmaceuticals are some of the largest categories by freight volume. Air cargo growth was driven by a surge in e-commerce and various global geo-political developments and ocean shipping restrictions, says an official release.
The full freighter to belly ratio stood at 57:43 percent, reflecting a shift towards a higher proportion of belly freight (up from 39 percent in 2023), and the trend is predicted to continue in the coming years, the update added.
"With a small decrease in full freighter flights, higher volumes carried by the aircraft led to a one percent average year-on-year increase in full freighter tonnage. Belly freight saw a notable 19.8 percent increase, driven by a higher number of flights carrying belly cargo as passenger flights continued their post-Covide recovery."
All regions experienced strong growth, except for Latin America, which saw a decline, partly due to the reallocation of routes to and from Asia driven by e-commerce demand, the release added.
Inbound tonnage grew by 7.8 percent on strong demand from regions including the Middle East (India), Far East (China, Japan, Korea), Africa (Kenya, South Africa), and the U.S. Outbound tonnage saw an 8.8 percent increase, primarily driven by demand from the U.S., the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
