Cargo airports finish strong in 2021

Major cargo airports around the world posted a strong finish to 2021 with significant increases in December cargo activity that continued to surpass prior years and pushed average full-year growth to nearly 15% above 2019 levels. Cargo throughput for December saw significant increases compared with November, which saw more modest increases compared to the same period in 2019 . While some airports, like Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), attributed the success to an aggressive cargo strategy, others attribute cargo growth to an increase in transshipments, according to airport releases. [caption id="attachment_67136" align="alignright" width="509"] Cargo is loaded onto the main deck of a freighter at Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS). Photo: AMS[/caption] The COVID-19 pandemic also transformed and fueled e-commerce trends that have been on the rise for some time, in turn boosting cargo throughput at airports, according to a recent release from Budapest International Airport (BUD). Specifically looking at the U.S., e-commerce saw a 21% increase in 2020, a 16% increase in the first eight months of 2021, and a 39% increase compared to the same period in 2019, according to a Cargo Facts Consulting e-commerce report . Europe European cargo airports and gateways have continued to see significant increases in cargo traffic throughout the past year with Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) handling roughly 2.2 million tonnes of cargo in 2021, a 2% increase from 2019 volumes, according to a recent airport release. In December alone, FRA handled 197,113 tonnes of cargo, which was 4.6% higher than November tonnage. FRA ranked No. 14 in Air Cargo World ’s Top 50 Cargo Airports ranking, based on 2020 throughput. Brussels International Airport (BRU) also saw elevated volumes, reporting a 10.7% increase to 69,840 tonnes of cargo in December, according to BRU’s latest traffic figures. Overall, BRU handled 843,140 tonnes in 2021, up 26.4% from 2019. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), which ranked No. 18, saw around a 12% increase in December 2021 compared with the same month in 2019, handling roughly 141,667 tonnes of cargo, AMS reported. Roughly 26,150 tonnes of AMS’ December inbound throughput were transported from eastern Asia, making up a majority of the airport’s inbound traffic. European shipments came in second at 11,348 tonnes. Shipments to eastern Asia also made up the largest portion of outbound shipments, with shipments to North America coming in second at 13,561 tonnes. In 2021, AMS handled roughly 1.7 million tonnes of cargo, up 6.2% from 2019. Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) also experienced a robust year for cargo, handling roughly 986,000 tonnes of cargo in 2021 with expectations of reaching 1 million tonnes of cargo throughput in 2022, according to a Jan. 18 release. “Cologne Bonn Airport’s outstanding importance as NRW’s [North Rhine-Westphalia’s] most important logistics hub for supplying the population with medical goods, industrial parts, food and commodities for daily use was especially highlighted during the crisis,” CGN’s managing director Torsten Schrank said in the release. Asia-Pacific Airports based in Asia have also reported elevated cargo volumes for 2021 as export demand and ongoing supply chain congestion at shipping ports continued to drive airfreight volumes. Incheon International Airport (ICN), which ranked No. 6 in the report, posted a roughly 20% increase to 288,712 tonnes of cargo in December, compared with the same period in 2019, according to the airport’s statistics. In 2021, ICN saw a 20.4% increase in volumes to 3,329,292 tonnes. Roughly 40% of the airport’s cargo traffic is transshipment cargo, according to the ICN website. Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) also saw an increase in throughput, handling roughly five million tonnes of cargo in 2021, whereas in 2019 HKG handled around 4.8 million tonnes, according to the latest traffic report. In December, HKG handled 477,000 tonnes, which is primarily attributed to an 18% year-over-year increase in transshipments. Both imports and exports saw 7% growth, with cargo to and from the Southeast Asia region posting the most significant increases during December. North America Airports in the Americas saw ongoing growing cargo volumes, with Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) reaching 3 million tonnes, up 9.4% from 2019 volumes, according to the airport’s latest traffic statistics. SDF, UPS’ hub, ranked at No. 5 in Air Cargo World ’s ranking. PIT also saw an increase in throughput, handling roughly 113,398 tonnes of cargo in 2021, a 26% increase from 2019, according to a Jan. 24 release. Airport officials at PIT attributed its success to its cargo strategy which helped the airport capitalize on cargo opportunities as other major U.S. airports faced capacity constraints and backlog. More specifically, partnering with the regional logistics ecosystem, including trucking companies, ground handlers, local warehousing, container freight stations and third-party logistics providers, helped contribute to PIT’s success, Nate Hankinson, president of Pittsburgh-based NJH Consulting, said in the release. On the West Coast, Ontario International Airport’s (ONT) volumes grew as well. In 2021, ONT handled 807,741 tonnes of cargo, up 14% from 2019. ONT ranked No. 29 in the ranking.

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