Brussels holds the balance
Airfreight volumes handled at BRU are divided roughly equally between DHL, full-freighters, co-loaded cargo and RFS. Tiaca vice-chairman Steven Polmans talked to ITJ editor Andreas Haug recently about the prospects for Brussels as a hub and for airfreight in general.
How did 2018 go for BRU, Mr Polmans?
Compared to 2017, the total volume grew by 7.5% to 732,000 t. We include trucked airfreight to or from Brussels in this figure because we see ourselves as a logistics platform. If we limit the reported figure to flown freight, then our increase came to about 4%, which was still twice as strong as the European average.
So you’re very satisfied, are you?
Yes, also because I know that we could have grown even more than this. But more important than a leap that is difficult to manage operationally is achieving sustainable growth. Any damage to our public image as a result of handling bottlenecks would burden a smaller hub such as Brussels even more than a large one such as Frankfurt.
What are your prospects for 2019?
I fear that Europe as a whole will have to adopt a more modest approach – even though we’ll again do better. Reasons for this include the launch of Dnata as the new handling agent in March and the arrival of Sichuan Airlines, whose first full-freighter destination in Europe will see it flying to Brussels three times a week from the end of April onwards.
What makes Brucargo different from other airports in the region?
Well, first of all, we see ourselves not just as an airport, but also as a logistics service provider. We do need the airlines, of course, to fly the cargo in and out, but we usually work with forwarders or even directly with shippers to improve the flow of goods.
And last but not least, we also have our own cargo team here at the airport that takes care of everything for clients, from marketing to real estate development. This enables us to plan more for the long term than many an other airport.
What about the pharmaceutical industry, a key pillar of business for Belgium?
Once we were certified in accordance with Iata’s CEIV Pharma regulations, we joined a system that the local freight community has very quickly accepted and adopted. Following the laying of the foundation stone for another temperature-controlled warehouse in March, another 50,000 sqm will become available for the industry next spring.
Aren’t things getting a bit tight at BRU?
We have limited space, but are now building a 50,000 sqm facility. Once it’s finished we can demolish old buildings and increase warehousing volume by 50,000 sqm, by using our land more efficiently.
How full are the skies over Brussels?
We have noise restrictions per aircraft and a night curfew limiting the amount of movements allowed, but otherwise the worst news we had for an airline seeking a morning slot was a 20-minute deviation from what it asked for.
What’s new in the networks?
Air Cargo Belgium, of which I’m the chairman, has just turned three years old, but has already achieved so much! Its open-data platform called ‘Brucloud’ has done well – also in London Heathrow, Liège and now in Vienna.
As for Tiaca, there were rumours in 2018 about its impending bankruptcy. But we overcame financial problems and for the first time in a while we’ve got good news in terms of our number of members. Messe München has taken over the organisation of the Air Cargo Forum in Miami, and we can concentrate on content.
