Munich Airport is the only German airport to record growth in freight, achieving 90% of its 2019 pre-pandemic volumes.
According to data released by the German Airports Association, Munich was the only major German airport to record growth in freight transportation in 2023. It handled 284,000 tonnes of cargo, registering a year-on-year increase of 6.6%, while total volumes in Germany fell by 7.1%.
According to the data, a significant share of this increase is attributable to belly cargo – goods transported in the cargo hold of passenger aircraft – which grew by as much as 11% at Munich Airport.
Direct connections to China, which were resumed in the middle of last year, the new route to Bangalore in southern India, and the four weekly flights to Taipei were also well received, especially by the flourishing Bavarian export industry.
Freight volumes at Munich Airport continue to soar in 2024, increasing by 6.5% in January and 10.8% in February year-on-year. Overall, the volume of freight at the airport is now back to almost 90% of its pre-pandemic level.
The availability of freight capacity will continue to increase this year. New routes to Seattle, Johannesburg, and Vietnam, as well as additional flights on the schedule, including to Beijing and Osaka, offer industrial and logistics companies in the service area of the airport, additional opportunities to transport cargo directly via Munich.
Munich Airport’s cargo area is appealing as it has fast turnaround times due to its efficient infrastructure, which enables goods to be transported to aircraft quickly because of short distances.
DHL Express plans to open a new building for freight handling at the airport in the European summer. The airport also has space for future expansion in the cargo area.
