Cargo traffic at the all-cargo Paris-Vatry airport plummeted to around 3,300 tonnes in the first six months of 2010, compared with 14,000 tonnes for the same period last year. The sharp decline in tonnage — when airports around the world are recording, in many cases record growth as the industry recovers from 2009’s devastation — is testimony to the impact of losing its two largest customers.

Both Avient and DHL withdrew from Paris-Vatry last year, sending the airport’s 2009 volumes plummeting by 44.6 per cent to 22,394 tonnes after a record year in 2008. “Avient and DHL quitting Vatry last year was a hammer blow, but we have to move on,” said Gilles Darriau, the new head of Seve, which runs the airport within the framework of a public service concession with Marne Council.

Avient left Vatry for Liège, in Belgium, leaving a simmering dispute with Seve, who claimed Avient had outstanding bills totalling €1.5 million. Although originally headed for court, the two have since settled their dispute out of court. DHL on the other hand, packed up and headed for its new express hub located at Leipzig-Halle in Germany.

“What has been encouraging of late is the benefit we’ve been able to take from the upturn in cargo charter activity over the past couple of months,” he said.

“We are practically handling one charter flight daily, mostly carrying export traffic, with Africa the most common destination. While we continue to pursue a long-term strategy of attracting long-haul freighter services from regions such as the Far East, India and South America, the short-term is our priority.”

Macao sees 60% cargo growth Macao’s outward air cargo volume grew significantly by 59 per cent yearon- year to 16,366 tonnes in the first half of 2010, according to the figures released by the city’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). The main destination of Macao’s outward cargo was Taiwan, which accounted for 72 per cent of the total in the period, the figures indicated.

Inbound air cargo also surged by 63 per cent to 8,342 tonnes during the period, with those from Taiwan taking a predominant share of 87 per cent. However, transit air cargo dropped by 49 per cent year-on-year to 3,193 tonnes.

Meanwhile, commercial flight movements at the Macao International Airport fell by 7 per cent year-on-year to 17,380 in the first half of 2010. Taiwan, the Chinese mainland and Thailand were the major routes accounting for 38, 27 and 8 per cent of the total commercial flights, respectively.

Munich Airport posts record volumes Freight and passenger traffic continue to grow at Munich Airport benefiting from the resurgent economy with cargo traffic up 27.1 per cent in the first half of 2010 compared to the same period last year, to 126,900 tonnes.

“Never before has Munich Airport handled this much cargo in half a year,” the airport said in a statement. The increased import and export tonnage at Munich Airport is mainly attributable to co-loaded freight on long-haul flights. The long-haul offerings of airlines in Munich is steadily increasing, with 258 intercontinental flights departing from the Bavarian capital every week for 44 destinations around the world.