Cargo traffic at Brussels Airport rose by 1.1 per cent in 2016 compared to 2015, despite the impact of the terrorist attacks.
The gateway handled 494,673 tonnes, a 1.1 per cent increase on the 489,303 tonnes in 2015 as the second half of the year made up for performance in the first half.
Full freighter cargo was up 14.3 per cent from 144,001 tonnes to 164,549 tonnes, and integrator/express freight was up 1.5 per cent to 203,982 tonnes from 200,988 tonnes. Belly fell sharply by 12.6 per cent to 126,105 tonnes from 144,314 tonnes.
The airport was boosted by a strong December, handling 49,519 tonnes in the month, a 22 per cent rise on the 40,585 tonnes in the same month last year.
This the gateway notes can almost entirely attributed to the near doubling of the full-freighter transport (+88.9 per cent). Belly cargo fell by 5.5 per cent compared to December 2015, while integrator traffic rose by two per cent on the same month in 2015.
Brussels Airport says it posted strong figures in the second half of the year, so that the loss on the belly side caused by the departure of Jet Airways and the impact of the terrorist attacks on 22 March were compensated on a year basis.
The airport adds the transport of pharmaceutical products and perishable goods from and to Brussels Airport rose sharply in 2016 compared to 2015.
