Germany’s Munich Airport said it had seen a sharp increase in cargo-only traffic. From January to October 2021, it handled around 55,000 metric tons on such planes, an increase of nearly 40% compared with 2019, the last year before the crisis.
Previously, cargo through Munich predominantly transported in large passenger aircraft as belly cargo, which made up around 90% the total volume.
Airport chief executive Jost Lammers said: “The fact that more and more freighters are touching down in Munich is a further proof of the enormous potential that our airport offers as a handling hub for air cargo. In light of the export-oriented economy of southern Germany and its close connections to markets and production sites all over the world, I still see considerable development opportunities for our airport here.”
Munich currently sees regular flights by the Russian cargo airline AirBridgeCargo, which flies to various Asian destinations six times a week with Boeing B747-8Fs. More recently, Moldova’s Aerotranscargo has landed a jumbo freighter from Hong Kong in Munich twice a week, a route operated on behalf of DB Schenker.
At the beginning of November, DHL Express doubled its services from five to ten weekly departures while Kuwait Airways, Thai Airways and Oman Airlines have registered several charter cargo flights in Munich during the next few weeks and, from the end of November to mid-December, Russian cargo airline Volga-Dnepr Airlines is planning a series of Antonov 124 flights.
Further cargo services are being planned for next year but there will also be more capacity for belly cargo in Munich due to the resumption of long-haul flights to North and Central America, such as to Miami, Vancouver and Mexico.