Page 20 - STAT Trade Times Novemmber 2024 Magazine for Website

regionalreport

Located in the heart of Europe and
connected to 220 destinations worldwide,
Brussels Airport handled 701,000 tonnes of
cargo in 2023.
The airports also help to move goods
and complement other major transporta-
tion hubs in the Benelux region, such as the
ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, which are
some of the biggest ports in the world.
For instance, Frédéric Brun, Head of
Commercial Cargo and Logistics at Liege
Airport, pointed out that the airport The airport
handles large volumes of international complements the
freight, particularly from North America,
Asia, and Africa, making it a key player in industrial and
global trade.
“With the rise of e-commerce (e.g., manufacturing sectors
via Amazon and Alibaba), Liège Airport of the Benelux region by
has become a central hub for handling
express parcels,” he said. providing just-in-time
This supports the region’s role as a gate-
way for imports to Europe and a distribution logistics for various
centre for European exports and according industries such as
to Brun, “particularly in luxury goods, phar-
maceuticals, and automotive parts.” automobile, aerospace,
“The airport complements the industrial
and manufacturing sectors of the Benelux chemicals, and
region by providing just-in-time logistics pharmaceuticals. “Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) is an
for various industries such as automobile, eastern air gateway for the Benelux region,
aerospace, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Frédéric Brun with high-quality cargo handling and a
Major manufacturers in the region, including Liege Airport hub which complements the Benelux
those in Wallonia’s heavy industries and Lux- trade network,” he said.
embourg’s high-tech sectors, benefit from tive edge in global trade while balancing He pointed out that in the spirit of Ben-
Liège’s quick access to global supply chains.” economic growth with environmental elux integration and communication, they
Liège Airport is also a major employ- sustainability,” he added. are working on closer digital integration
ment centre in the region with over 11,000 Meanwhile, Dean Boljuncic, Head of and customs integration with Amsterdam
jobs created directly and indirectly. Commercial Development of Maastricht Schiphol Airport (AMS).
By serving as a hub for high-value in- Aachen Airport (MST), took the example of In June 2023, Royal Schiphol Group pur-
dustries, the airports directly support the the pharmaceutical industry. chased a 40 percent stake in MST, becom-
broader economic agenda of the Benelux “The cooperation between the three ing the second shareholder in the airport
region, promoting growth in key sectors constituent countries has the potential to alongside the province of Limburg.
like logistics, technology, and advanced boost trade through the removal of barri- In December 2023, the trade asso-
manufacturing. ers between the three economies,” he said. ciation for the air freight industry in the
Brun foresees the Benelux region as a “Pharma is a growing industry in the Netherlands Air Cargo Netherlands (ACN)
vital player in Europe's — and the world’s Benelux region, and current forecasts announced a new branch for the Maas-
— supply chains for decades to come. show further growth in the coming years. tricht region.
“The future of the Benelux region is Air cargo is a critical transport method for Boljuncic said, “The Air Cargo Netherlands
one of continued economic integration, this industry, as the Covid-19 pandemic office that was set up in Maastricht shows
sustainability, and leadership in logistics showed, and MST will continue to make the investment in MST as a great option
and innovation,” he said. sure our export capacity reflects the suc- for cargo routes, alongside our €35 million
According to him, Liège Airport will cess of our region,” he added. investment in our new runway last year.”
play a central role in this future by acting According to Statista, the revenue in ACN Maastricht has been set up to
as a key hub for e-commerce, enhancing the Pharmaceuticals market in Benelux is unite the air cargo community surround-
multimodal connectivity, and leading in projected to reach $11.83bn in 2024. ing Maastricht Aachen Airport, with a
green logistics. Boljuncic thinks MST is invaluable primary focus on shaping the future
“Its contributions will support the re- to the Dutch economy and the wider development of the hub.
gion's ambitions to maintain its competi- Benelux region. “At MST we encourage collaboration
18 | NOVEMBER 2024 www.stattimes.com