Frankfurt Airport operator, Fraport has seen cargo rise in April – making it the first month it has risen in 2016 after struggled in the first quarter (Q1).
In market contrast to passenger traffic, which fell by 2.5 per cent, freight soared by five per cent to 181,948 tonnes.
Fraport says: “Far East traffic was the main growth driver, with cargo tonnage to/from this region climbing by nine per cent. Freight volumes on routes to/from China, Japan, and India even recorded dynamic double-digit growth.
“While cargo throughput declined during the first three months of 2016, cumulative cargo volumes in the year to April reached positive territory again for the first time, growing by 0.5 per cent.”
In Q1 cargo volumes at Frankfurt fell by 1.2 per cent reaching 496,764 tonnes, which the gateway says was due to the slowdown in global trade.
In the first three months of 2016, the gateway has struggled until April as it saw year-on-year declines, with January down 0.1 per cent to 159,650 tonnes, February by 1.4 per cent to 159,721 tonnes and March by 1.3 per cent to 187,063 tonnes.
This is a boost, as according to the Airports Council International’s 2015 cargo hub figures, Frankfurt lost its title as Europe’s busiest airfreight airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport after seeing volumes fall last year by 2.6 per cent as it was hit by pilot strikes and slow world trade.
