Liege Airport officials describe 2013 as having been a mixed year for the airport as air transport continued to be adversely affected by the global economic situation.
Volumes fell during the first half of the year, but rebounded during the second half. Liege recorded a total of 561,000 tonnes in 2013, almost exactly the same as in 2012.
“We saw signs of recovery towards the middle of the year but it was still fragile,” says Luc Partoune, CEO of Liege Airport. “Since then, each month has been better compared to the same respective month in 2012. Growth prospects for 2014 are real.”
Partoune says the arrival and growth of Qatar Airways in 2013 was a positive development, as was the arrival of freight forwarders such as Panalpina and Kuehne + Nagel.
“Several new contracts will be signed and will probably help us to surpass the level of 600,000 metric tonnes transported,” Partoune says.
Aircargo World