CARGO volume at Europe's airports fell 1.8 per cent during the first quarter, but freighter-friendly Liege enjoyed 12.5 per cent year-on-year growth.
The latest report by Brussels-based Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, said: 'The decline in freight traffic in Q1 was all down to the European Union (EU) market (-2.6 per cent) as non-EU airports remained positive (+1.8 per cent).
'However, March saw freight traffic across Europe improving slightly (-0.2 per cent) compared to preceding months, with both non-EU (+3.3 per cent) and EU (-1.2 per cent) posting better results.
'Among the top 10 European airports for freight traffic, only four posted positive results in Q1: Liege (+12.5 per cent), Istanbul-Ataturk (+6.6 per cent), Madrid-Barajas (+5.7 per cent) and Kazan (+3.8 per cent).'
In a first results posting beyond the first quarter, German hub Frankfurt saw cargo throughput (air freight + airmail) in April fall by six per cent to 178,342 tonnes, and down by 3.3 per cent for the January to April period to 705,000 tonnes.
A spokesman for the Europe's largest cargo airport by freight volumes blamed April's decrease on 'weaker global trade and the later occurrence of the Easter holidays'.
April's disappointing decline came after Frankfurt's five per cent year-on-year increase in March to 198,700 tonnes, when the hub registered its first cargo increase in 2019.
London Heathrow airport saw its cargo volumes fall 5.9 per cent year on year in April to 132,893 tonnes, and down three per cent to 541,00 tonnes for the first four months of 2019, reports London's Air Cargo News.
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The latest report by Brussels-based Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, said: 'The decline in freight traffic in Q1 was all down to the European Union (EU) market (-2.6 per cent) as non-EU airports remained positive (+1.8 per cent).
'However, March saw freight traffic across Europe improving slightly (-0.2 per cent) compared to preceding months, with both non-EU (+3.3 per cent) and EU (-1.2 per cent) posting better results.
'Among the top 10 European airports for freight traffic, only four posted positive results in Q1: Liege (+12.5 per cent), Istanbul-Ataturk (+6.6 per cent), Madrid-Barajas (+5.7 per cent) and Kazan (+3.8 per cent).'
In a first results posting beyond the first quarter, German hub Frankfurt saw cargo throughput (air freight + airmail) in April fall by six per cent to 178,342 tonnes, and down by 3.3 per cent for the January to April period to 705,000 tonnes.
A spokesman for the Europe's largest cargo airport by freight volumes blamed April's decrease on 'weaker global trade and the later occurrence of the Easter holidays'.
April's disappointing decline came after Frankfurt's five per cent year-on-year increase in March to 198,700 tonnes, when the hub registered its first cargo increase in 2019.
London Heathrow airport saw its cargo volumes fall 5.9 per cent year on year in April to 132,893 tonnes, and down three per cent to 541,00 tonnes for the first four months of 2019, reports London's Air Cargo News.
WORLD SHIPPING