Amsterdam air cargo slips on Asia downturn

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol handled 784,567 tons in the first six months of this year, a 2.1 percent drop compared to the same period in 2014.    Amsterdam Airport Schiphol handled 784,567 tons in the first six months of this year, a 2.1 percent drop compared to the same period in 2014.
   The Dutch airport explained the decline was mainly due to falling air cargo traffic from Asia, down 3.8 percent at 293,293 tons, and from Europe, down 16.2 percent to 64,198 tons.
   “It’s disappointing that we have not seen some growth again in 2015 so far but, given the current softness of our major market, China, the tonnages are better than we might have expected,” Jonas van Stekelenburg, the airport’s director of cargo, said in a statement.
   “The weakness of the Russian economy also impacted one of our biggest flower markets, affecting exports around Valentine’s Day and other events in their calendar when flowers are given,” he added.
   Other regions sending cargo to the Dutch airport fared better in the first half of the year: North America traffic rose 4.7 percent to 150,494 tons and Latin America was up 4.8 percent to 84,482 tons. However, Middle East cargo traffic to Schiphol fell 3.4 percent to 103,243 tons and African volumes dropped 0.1 percent to 88,860 tons. 
   All-cargo plane flights to the airport rose 1.4 percent to 8,218 over the first six months of 2015.