Brussels Airport’s cargo tonnage fell by 9.3 per cent in the first half of the year with the month of June seeing a 17 per cent drop.
The airport processed 333,921 tonnes in the six-month period from January to June, down on the 368,055 tonnes in the same period last year.
Freighter traffic was the chief reason for the decline, as it fell by 16.2 per cent to 69,028 tonnes. The integrator segment was down 10.6 per cent to 99,998 tonnes while belly cargo fell 3.1 per cent to 77,965 and trucked cargo was down 6.8 per cent to 86,930 tonnes.
Last month, Brussels Airport handled 53,307 tonnes, a significant decline on the 64,254 tonnes in June 2018 as all sectors and airlines saw a fall.
The trucked cargo underwent the strongest downturn – 26.6 per cent lower than June last year, but freighter traffic also fell 16 per cent to 11,058 tonnes, belly cargo declined 16.4 per cent to 12,120 tonnes and integrator freight fell 9.3 per cent to 17,145 tonnes.
The airport said: “Although a negative trend has been identified in all European airports, Brussels Airport has fared worse than other airports in the vicinity.
“This can be explained by the general decline in cargo volumes in the European market and the unrest that prevailed in recent months at skeyes air traffic control and the impact this had on cargo flights.”
