This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Out of the shadows


The world’s leading gateways are enjoying mixed fortunes. Most European airports are still struggling with the effects of the economic recession and uncertainty in the Eurozone. But in other parts of the world the picture is much brighter and many are seeing increases in cargo.


GERMANairport operator Fraport blamed the new night curfew, as well as the state of the world economy, for a 7.6 percent fall in cargo volume at Frankfurt in July 2012 compared with the same month in 2011. Passenger traffic, in contrast, rose during the month to a new monthly record. Aircraft move-


lished earlier, Fraport achieved a rise of 2.5 per- cent in revenue – but investments such as the new runway at Frankfurt-Main airport led to a 17.4 percent decline in the final result, to 86.9 million euros (US$107.3 million). Passenger traffic over the six months was


strong – but cargo fell by 9 percent across the Group’s airports. Again, it said its Frankfurt gateway was particularly affected by the weak global econo- my and European debt crisis, as well as the night flight ban intro- duced late last year, throughput sliding 9.9 percent. Still, Fraport executive board


chairman Stefan Schulte declared: “During this difficult period in the air transportation industry our fig- ures have been developing as planned and we are sticking to our goals for 2012.” The group fore- casts revenue to exceed 2.5 billion


ments also rose, by 1.3 percent to 43,260 takeoffs and landings. In its figures for the first half of 2012, pub-


euros ($3.1 billion) this year with the final result expected to come in at “about the same level” as 2011.


BRIEFS • BRIEFS • BRIEFS • BRIEFS


HUNGARY’S Budapest airport says it has “made a strong recovery” since the country’s flag-carrier, Malév, went bankrupt in February. The gateway is to host Routes Europe 2013.


THE NATIONAL Economic and Development Authority Investment Coordination Committee- Cabinet Committee in the Philippines has approved the Bicol International Airport Project to construct a new domestic airport in Daraga.


THE AIRPORT Development Program at Calgary airport, which includes a new 14,000ft (4,267m) parallel runway, is proceeding on schedule and on budget.


IAG’S Iberia Cargo has been appointed freight handling agent for TAM ‘s daily A330 flights between São Paulo and Madrid. Traffic will be handled at Iberia’s terminals in Madrid and Barcelona, along with the TAM-operated trucking fleet. Iberia Cargo already handles freight for Chile’s LAN Airlines, which recently merged with TAM.


OVER the course of the first six months of this year, Warsaw Chopin airport processed 21,500 tonnes of cargo – down slightly by 0.8 percent in comparison to the year-earlier period. Inbound cargo stood at 12,500 tonnes while outbound volumes totalled 8,400 tonnes.


ANA Aeroportos de Portugal says air freight han-


dled across all its airports managed by the group fell by 6 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2012. Porto was the only gateway to record an increase in throughput, traffic rising by 3.2 per- cent to 17,554 tons.


SEOUL Incheon airport, Aéroports de Paris and Schiphol Group recently held their third CEO- level meeting as part of the Leading Airports Cooperation Projects launched in February last year. The initiative aims to raise standards in all areas of airport operation.


AEROSTAR Airport Holdings has signed a 40- year lease agreement for Luis Munoz Marin International airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.


CARGO traffic at LA/Ontario International Airport in Canada has bucked an otherwise gloomy trend, rising by 15 percent for most of the year, said the airport authority. Passenger traffic, in contrast, has been falling. The airport has benefit- ted from UPS activity, which uses it as a major gateway for the west coast of America, operating around 38 flights a day. A number of retailers including Target and Wal-Mart have also set up up warehouses in the area.


MOSCOW’S Sheremetyevo International Airport said its earnings in 2011 totalled 11.4 billion rou- bles (US$357.7million), 19.5 percent more than in 2010. Net income increased by 56 percent to 2.17 billion roubles ($68.1million).


Study says forwarders are to the fore in airport choice The presence of forwarders is a one of the most important influences in freighter operators' choice of airports in Europe, according to a recent study. Franziska Kupfer, author of The Airport


Choice for Scheduled Freighter Operations in Europe, published by the University of Antwerp, said that about 85 percent of revenue generated in intercontinental air freight was in the hands of forwarders.” To be able to develop all-cargo services, main airports have to attract


them, Kupfer declared. But, “airports often concentrate on their


direct customers, the airlines, in their market- ing.” More effort should go to entice forwarders to airports, the study suggested. Despite Frankfurt's recent loss of night


flights, the study also suggested that major air- ports did not need night slots to be attractive to airlines, with most such airlines saying that they were able to work around any restrictions.


20 August 2012


Page 9





Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12