- 1,000 flights per week: continuing high level of freight services at the German airport in Q1
- The number of freight charter flights during March increased by 5.5% – and this figure has grown by 8.7% since the start of 2020
Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport, Europe’s fifth-largest airfreight hub, saw a 1.5% decline in cargo tonnages in the first three months of this year, although there was a 3.8% increase in take-offs and landings during March.
A spokesperson said that Leipzig/Halle is “holding its ground in the coronavirus” crisis and registered a “strong level of demand” in its cargo business during the first quarter of 2020, compared with other German airports.
The spokesperson added: “Despite the drastic effects on international air traffic caused by the pandemic, the airport almost maintained the same level of freight volumes as in 2019.”
This means that Leipzig/Halle Airport was able to buck the national trend: cargo tonnage at German airports fell by 8.1% on average between January and March.
In focus: freight handling in March
Freight volumes in March totalled 107,583 tonnes, 2.6% lower than the same month in 2019 which had set a corporate record.
The slight decline was mainly due to a reduction in cargo flights to and from Asia as a result of the corona pandemic, but this figure has already started to recover since the middle of March.
The number of aircraft movements in conjunction with the freight traffic was 4,360 take-offs and landings, which was even 3.8% higher than the figure in the previous year. There were between 934 and 1066 take-offs and landings for freight traffic each week.
Added the spokesperson: “This growth was particularly sustained by DHL’s express freight business. However, even the freight and special charter business continued to develop at an above-average rate: the number of freight charter flights during March increased by 5.5% – and this figure has grown by 8.7% since the beginning of the year.
Outlook for April
With as many as 190 take-offs and landings per day, Leipzig/Halle Airport, Germany’s second-largest cargo airport, has been one of the busiest airports in Europe during April, according to Eurocontrol.
Added the airport spokesperson: “Leipzig/Halle has played a key role in maintaining flows of goods and supply chains, particularly during the last few months, and is guaranteeing that supplies reach the public and industry during the coronavirus pandemic.
“There has been particular demand for handling express freight, medical protective equipment and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products – and there is no sign of this diminishing.”
