Cargo volume at Brussels Airport grew 30 per cent in 2021 compared to 2022 – its best performance in 15 years.

843,140 tonnes of freight was transported through the airport, which reported growth in all cargo segments, including full freighter, integrator, belly cargo and trucked cargo.

The full freighter segment performed particularly strongly, with a growth of 104 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels.

“Our cargo division has seen an unprecedented growth, with an increase in volume of 30% compared to 2020,” said says Brussels Airport’s CEO Arnaud Feist. “The demand for air cargo was exceptionally high, and thanks to our investments, digitisation and our strong cargo community, Brussels Airport was able to handle this growth with ease.

“With our expertise in the transport of pharmaceuticals, as the main hub for the export of vaccines in Europe, we could do our part in the battle against Covid with more than 800 million vaccines transported, and we will undoubtedly continue to do this in the year ahead.”

More than 800 million vaccines have been transported to and from Brussels Airport since November 2020, which it said confirms its position as the “most important” pharmahub in Europe.