837,671 tons of cargo processed at Schiphol Airport in H1 2021
Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol reported it processed 837,671 tons of cargo in the first six months of 2021, up 27.7 percent on last year, with freighter flights up 23.5 percent compared to the first half of 2020.
Schiphol said 265,560 tons were processed in bellyhold, up 38.10 percent on the same period last year. Pre-pandemic cargo figures for the first six months of 2019 were 385,319 tonnes for inbound and 382,200 tonnes for outbound cargo.
The year’s first half figures indicate rise in business activities following a deep lull due to the pandemic.
Schiphol is in fact facing capacity shortages for freighters due to slot restrictions, a situation which the airport is working to resolve with the Dutch Government and cargo community.
“The figures demonstrate that cargo remains important, not only for Schiphol and its local air freight community, but also for the economy of the Netherlands,” said Anne Marie van Hemert, Head of Aviation Business Development. “We seek to find a joint solution to the slot issue.”
The results were posted as van Hemert commits to working with the Schiphol Cargo Community to shape Europe’s ‘smartest cargo hub’, with a new strategy focused on sustainability, efficiency, and digitisation.
“It is no secret that the Schiphol Cargo community was facing big challenges before anyone had ever heard of COVID-19,” said van Hemert. “But despite the pandemic we have continued to work on the issues that matter most to our cargo community, and we are ready to move forward towards a better future for every member of the air cargo chain. There are big challenges ahead, but we have everything in place to succeed by working together.”
Schiphol appointed two Cargo Partnership Directors after finalising a restructure, which has led to the creation of a new Aviation Business Development Division under Airport Operations and Aviation Partnerships.
Under the new strategy, Schiphol will continue to drive its Smart Cargo Mainport Program (SCMP) and finalise the renewal of Cargonaut’s Port Community System (PCS) over coming months.
Going Green is one of the airport’s core strategy pillars, and Schiphol will continue to support schemes such as the Milk Run, where forwarders’ truck collections from handling agents are replaced by a single delivery from the handling agent to multiple forwarders’ facilities.
Schiphol will also continue working with the Holland Flower Alliance and the Circular Plastics Alliance to use standardised boxes for flowers and help reduce waste.
The strategy’s ‘optimising connectivity’ pillar puts an emphasis on the team working with the cargo community and local government towards resolving the hub’s slots issues.
“We have got capacity challenges at Schiphol, but we are working hard to secure solutions,” said van Hemert. “Making this a strategic pillar means it will continue to be a core priority.”
