Vienna Airport Q12024 cargo handled up 16% on higher belly capacity

Vienna Airport handled 68,058 tonnes of air freight for import and export in the first quarter of 2024, a year-on-year increase of 16 percent.

"Compared to the pre-coronavirus year 2019, the current figures represent a growth of 1,417 tonnes or around two percent. The tonnage handled in the pharma handling centre in the first quarter increased by 6.9 percent to 886 tonnes," says an official release.

The positive figures are a result of the significant increases in belly cargo on passenger aircraft, the release added. "Compared to the previous year, the resurgence in air traffic has created additional cargo space, which is in high demand. In the first quarter, the volume of belly cargo more than doubled, increasing by 52 percent to 27,131 tonnes. This development more than compensated for the 12 percent decline in handling volumes for cargo-only aircraft to a total of 20,238 tonnes. In addition to one-off effects in the previous year, the main reason for the decline in the freighter-only sector was the transfer of cargo shipments to passenger aircraft."

While imports increased 14 percent to 37,468 tonnes, exports were up 17 percent at 30,572 tonnes in the first quarter.

"The development of air freight in the first quarter gives us cause for optimism," says Michael Zach, Head, Handling Services, Flughafen Wien. "Demand for air freight is picking up noticeably, both for general cargo and for pharmaceutical shipments, which we handle in our own state-of-the-art pharmaceutical centre. The flight schedule change has already added additional long-haul capacity to North America and Asia. We are prepared for further growth in order to strengthen and expand our role as an air cargo hub for Central and Eastern Europe with these and other connections to international markets."

Flughafen Wien, the Vienna stock exchange-listed operating company, is one of the largest employers in its region with more than 5,400 employees, the release added.