Cargo volumes at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol drop 7.7% in July

Although the number of cargo flights from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol rose to 2,336 – 101 percent more compared to the same month last year – the tonnage of cargo transported witnessed a decline. Cargo volumes stood at 119,634 tonnes in July, translating to a 7.7 percent fall over the same period last year. Cargo tonnage fell 13.5 percent to 775,652 tonnes in the first half of 2020 compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, on the passenger side, the airport witnessed 80 percent drop in passenger numbers compared to 2019. The number of flights to and from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in July fell by 65 percent compared to last year, to a total of 15,704 (down from 44,736 in July 2019). This resulted in a total of 1.34 million passengers who travelled to, from or via Schiphol (down from 6.72 million in July 2019).

Increase in the number of flights

There was a surge in activity at the beginning of July, partly due to governments lifting travel restrictions. On the quietest day last month, July 1, there were 367 air transport movements. The busiest day was July 31, when there were 579 air transport movements. The amount of daily passengers doubled last month, from more than 28,000 passengers on July 1 to over 58,500 on 31st July. One of the reasons for this was the start of the holiday season.

Air traffic in Europe

The start of the holiday season in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe has led to a relative revival in the number of passengers going to traditionally popular holiday destinations such as Spain, Italy, France and Portugal. Compared to last year, the number of travellers remains limited and these countries have seen a decrease in traveller numbers, varying between 57 percent and 75 percent, compared to July 2019.

Intercontinental air traffic

Intercontinental air traffic presents a different picture. The number of passengers to and from China, the United Arab Emirates and North America, for example, are significantly lower (between 86 percent and 92 percent fewer passengers). However, due to an increase in full cargo flights, the total decrease in intercontinental air transport movements compared to 2019 is only 50 percent.