3 minute read
Cargo record for Maastricht Aachen Airport
by Cargomedia
The future is looking rosy for Maastricht Aachen Airport. Since 2016 annual cargo volumes have been increasing significantly and last year’s volume was more than double that of 2016. This in a year when other Dutch airports had an extremely difficult year. Maastricht Aachen Airport has also got off to a good start this year. Even while the passenger terminal is still eerily quiet and empty.
Jos Roeven, CEO Maastricht Aachen Airport Text Maastricht Aachen Airport Photography Maastricht Aachen Airport,
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Jean-Pierre Geusens
2020 had started uncertainly for Maastricht Aachen Airport. Cargo volumes in January and February, as a result of the outbreak in China, showed a considerable slump in comparison to 2019. The airport could not then have imagined that, in terms of cargo, the airport would have the best year in its history.
Jos Roeven, CEO of Maastricht Aachen Airport: “You saw immediately from the worldwide cargo volumes that China was in lockdown. Reduced or even no production at all meant no cargo. And then in March when passenger traffic was halted I began to worry. This was a situation we had never previously experienced and was one for which there were no models or forecasts available.”
The grounding of intercontinental passenger aircraft was immediately evident. The lack of capacity for belly freight resulted immediately in a huge increase in full freighter flights. These are the only cargo flights into Maastricht Aachen Airport. The loss of passenger flights was compensated by the increase in cargo flights to the Limburg airport.
“Especially for our showpieces: fast processing of fresh products such as vegetables, fruit and fish and, of course, there was an unprecedented increase in demand for pharmaceutical products and medical equipment. While many companies were
applying for reduced working time arrangements for their employees as they had no work, our employees were pulling out all the stops to get the work done.”
“I am confident for the results for this year. Customers who, to guarantee their slots temporarily went elsewhere, have returned and the Corona crisis has brought us a great new airline. Qatar Airways at the moment visits here 11 times each week on average and has recently taken us on as a permanent base. This is such a huge compliment for our employees who, regardless of all the Coronarelated ups and downs and other limitations, have secured us such an airline. The speed, flexibility and consistent quality at our airport were the deciding factors.” Roeven expects that passenger flights will slowly resume at the beginning of June: “Of course, this will depend on the situation in various countries at that time and both the Dutch and European policies regarding travel. But we, just like Corendon and Ryanair, are ready to once again take people to the sun. This is also the case for our colleagues at PMT. Their first real passenger season here at the airport was a wash-out due to Corona. We are looking forward to together effectively ensuring the security of the passenger sphere. Even with a very busy summer timetable. This year the focus is on recovery but hopefully next year we can pick up from where we left off before the Corona crisis.”
‘Het wegvallen van passagiersvluchten werd meteen gecompenseerd met de toename in vrachtvluchten’ WORLDWIDE IATA INNOVATION AWARDED PLATFORM CONTRIBUTING TO AN INCREASED COMPETITIVENESS OF THE AIR CARGO PRODUCT COMMUNICATION More information www.maa.nl TRANSPARENCY
WORLDWIDE IATA INNOVATION AWARDED PLATFORM
