Vienna Airport is reaffirming its role as a cargo hub for Central and Eastern Europe: From January through the end of September 2025, a total volume of 233,233 tonnes was handled—an increase of eight percent compared with the same period of the previous year. Belly-hold capacity on long-haul flights and the e-commerce segment, in particular, showed dynamic growth.
“The positive trend in air cargo continues: We recorded further gains in the third quarter. Vienna Airport offers a comprehensive service portfolio and decades of expertise in the cargo sector. The sustained strong development confirms our role as a high-performance cargo hub in Europe,” says Julian Jäger, joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport.
“Vienna is a logistics competence centre for a wide range of cargo segments—from traditional air freight and e-commerce to sensitive pharmaceutical transports. The current volume increases show that we are well-positioned in the market. Thanks to efficient processes, high service quality, and an experienced team, we are well equipped to handle further growth professionally in the future,” adds Michael Zach, Senior Vice President Ground Handling & Cargo Operations of Vienna Airport.
Belly cargo and pharma handling as growth drivers
Belly-hold cargo on passenger aircraft rose by two percent to 92,604 tonnes by the end of September. The third quarter performed particularly strongly: July saw an increase of twelve percent, and August achieved ten percent growth. Import and export figures also increased: Import volumes rose by five percent to 125,284 tonnes, while exports grew by eleven percent to 107,949 tonnes. The Vienna Pharma Handling Center—one of the few specialised facilities of its kind in the region—also recorded gains: Tonnage handled there increased by 7.4 percent to 3,307 tonnes.
Vienna Airport as a logistics hub for Central and Eastern Europe
Thanks to its geographically favourable location in Europe, Vienna Airport has positioned itself as an important global cargo hub for Central and Eastern Europe. Vienna Airport is used by leading cargo airlines, especially for intercontinental transport. The airport offers rapid transhipment times based on its 24/7 operational readiness. Ten Category F aircraft parking bays (Boeing 747, Antonov 124) in close proximity to the terminal buildings are available for air cargo. Vienna Airport is firmly anchored in the European network of air cargo road feeder services. The most important consumer and business centres in Central and Eastern Europe are accessed within 24 or 48 hours. Flughafen Wien AG, which is publicly traded on the Vienna Stock Exchange, is one of the biggest employers in the region, featuring a workforce of more than 5,400 people.
