The positive growth trend in air freight at Vienna Airport, which has continued since the beginning of the year, continued in the second quarter of 2024.

Between January and the end of June, 141,118 tons of air freight were handled at Vienna Airport, an increase of 20,861 tons or 17 percent compared to the previous year, according to an official statement. “This level is also four percent above the level before the pandemic.”

Pharmaceutical handling continued to increase: In the first half of the year, 1,825 tonnes or 8.2 percent more were handled at the airport. “Cargo volumes also continued to increase in July 2024: With 24,808 tonnes of air freight, the airport recorded an increase of 21.1 percent compared to the previous year.”

The positive development is underpinned by the growth in passenger traffic, which creates additional capacity for belly cargo, the statement continues. “The tonnage of belly cargo increased by 47 percent to 57,594 tons in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year. In contrast, the volumes transported by cargo aircraft fell by eight percent to 41,142 tons due to capacity growth, the switch to passenger aircraft and one-off effects in the previous year. The increased volume of air freight transported by truck contributed to the strong half-year result with growth of 17 percent to 42,382 tons.”

Around 78,029 tonnes of air freight arrived at Vienna Airport for distribution to Austria and the neighboring markets in Central and Eastern Europe. That was 11,004 tonnes or 16 percent more than in the first half of 2023. “In the opposite direction, goods with a total weight of 63,089 tonnes landed at destinations all over the world via the Vienna air freight hub. That was 9,857 tonnes or 19 percent more than in the same period in 2023.”

Julian Jäger, CEO of Vienna Airport: “Freight volumes are developing excellently. In July 2024, air freight volumes were already higher than in the pre-Corona year of 2019. This shows that our strategy is working. We are relying on innovative logistics solutions, first-class infrastructure and the highest quality of handling. This positive development strengthens our location and underlines our importance as a central hub for global air freight.”

Michael Zach, Senior Vice President Ground Handling & Cargo Operations, Vienna Airport, added: “We were able to seamlessly continue the positive development since the beginning of the year in the second quarter. Demand remains robust, especially on routes to North America and Asia. Vienna Airport offers excellent conditions for handling the growing volume of cargo quickly and reliably. The handling services of our Pharma Handling Center are also enjoying increased demand and are well prepared for further growth.”