Cargo tonnage fell sharply by 6.9 per cent to 57,264 tonnes in April at Brussels Airport which the airport said was in line with the current economic trend and figures were also impacted by service disruptions at skeyes.
The Belgian gateway also said the fall “corresponds with the negative market trend for European air cargo traffic” and the freight sector has been experiencing a slowdown since the end of last year.
Freighter traffic saw a strong decrease of 20.3 per cent to 11,288 tonnes compared to April last year. Saudia Cargo ceased operations at Brussels Airport which impacted figures.
A number of cargo flights were cancelled in April due to airspace being closed (mainly during the night and early morning) as a result of limited staffing at skeyes.
This is mainly reflected in the decline in express services, and tonnage fell by 8.4 per cent to 16,257 tonnes compared to the same month last year.
Brussels Airport also said growth in e-commerce has resulted in a decrease in the volume of transported goods while their value has increased.
The volume of belly cargo also dropped by six per cent to 13,357 tonnes whilst trucked cargo grew by 6.5 per cent to 16,362 tonnes.
In the first four months of 2019, cargo tonnage at Brussels Airport is down 5.3 per cent to 225,977 tonnes.
