Brussels’ January pax traffic expands at expense of cargo

Brussels Airlines reported strong results from January, with passenger traffic rising by 8.5 percent, compared to the same month last year, along with a load factor that improved by 7.8 percentage points, year-over-year. The bump in traffic, however, did not translate to belly cargo, as the Belgian carrier saw a 15.7 percent, y-o-y, decline in airfreight for the month.

Freight tonne kilometers carried by Brussels Airlines fell from 13,481 in January 2015 to 11,363 last month. According to the carrier, the month showed robust growth in cargo activity in Europe and the destinations it served in the United States, but the main reason for the airfreight decline was reduced availability of cargo space on its African network.

For its routes to Africa, passenger volume at Brussels Airlines rose by 22.4 percent, y-o-y, in January, which reduced availability for cargo space, the carrier explained. The aircraft were also subject to weight restrictions on the flights to Africa, which placed more limits on the amount of cargo the aircraft could lift.