Budapest Airportʼs air cargo volume breaks 100,000-ton record

Budapest Airport described it as promising that the growth is not due to a single airline or segment, as in addition to conventional cargo carriers the turnover of integrator companies as well as the volume of belly cargo (transported in the cargo compartments of passenger aircraft) is increasing steadily. After September and October – as expected before the Christmas season – the monthly volume of air cargo processed at the airport in November was way over 10,000 tons (and almost climbed above 11,000 tons), thereby setting the new record for the year, the press statement added. 

Budapest Airport statistics show that the ratio of import and export volumes was balanced until last year, but this year export volumes have been increasing faster. It may be directly concluded from this that Hungarian companies are holding their ground in global competition, according to Budapest Airport. Significantly increased turnover has been produced primarily by the electronic industry, producers of automotive parts, telecommunication technologies and the pharmaceutical industry. The annual rate of growth of total cargo volume flowing through Budapest (air cargo and road cargo combined) is also outstanding on the regional level, at 21.5% versus the previous year, the press statement added.

Based on the performance, Budapest Airport believes that its role as a regional cargo hub has become more and more significant. The press statement notes that some major Chinese corporations, for example, distribute their products headed for the European market via Ferenc Liszt International Airport. Budapest offers ideal conditions for this, as no less than 20 European countries can be reached within a 1,000-kilometer radius, the optimum for road transport and distribution of goods. Through the international route network of major cargo carriers, virtually all important commercial destinations around the globe can be reached from Budapest, via Luxembourg, Doha, Dubai, or Istanbul, for example.

“We are really proud of the rapid growth of air cargo volume, reaching 16.4% this year, as this is a clear sign of the good performance of the Hungarian economy,” said René Droese, property director of Budapest Airport also responsible for cargo. “The needs of increasingly robust cargo traffic will also be catered for by the two major logistics bases currently under construction next to Terminal 1 for DHL Express and TNT,” Droese added. “Simultaneously, we have started preparations for the development of a brand new air cargo center called Cargo City in the area next to Terminal 2, since it is expected that additional and more modern cargo handling capacities will be required in Budapest within a short time.”