The cargo community of Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) has set up a local branch of Air Cargo Netherlands (ACN). Apparently, hopes are high that a new permit will enable the full 2,750 m use of its runway by January...
<?xml version="1.0"?>The cargo community of Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) has set up a local branch of Air Cargo Netherlands (ACN). Apparently, hopes are high that a new permit will enable the full 2,750 m use of its runway by January 2025, which would make the airport more attractive to cargo operators.
Arjan Hage heads the local branch of Air Cargo Netherlands in Maastricht – photo: private
“The companies wanted to unite by setting up an organization. After all, we have the network. When we learned that Air Cargo Netherlands also wanted to do something in Maastricht, we went to talk to them. This led to a local branch, with its own structure.”
Mr. Hage acts as the president of the local branch, which has a 6-member board representing all the trades of the cargo industry. He is convinced that the recent developments at the airport will make it attractive to cargo carriers again.
The same vision prevails with the airport operator which, since October last year, is 40% owned by Schiphol Group, the remaining 60% being controlled by the Province of Limburg. CFG reported.
Runway use restriction
On 08JUN23, MST officially joined the group. One month earlier, the airport had triggered off its runway renovation, which was completed on 01JUL23. It is 2,750 m long, but the present operating license only allows the use of 2,500 m.
This restriction is still an obstacle for the airport’s cargo traffic development, but a brighter future is in the making, says Manager Marketing & Communications, Hella Hendriks: “We have delivered a new license application, which should allow us to use the runway over its full length as from January 2025.”
According to Ms. Hendriks, the runway was used over its full length in 2018-2019, thanks to an exception granted by the then-responsible Minister under the license at the time. Within the on-going revision of the Dutch airport policy, the operating license had to be withdrawn, leading to the restriction being reinstalled. The new ‘airport decision’, as the license is now called and which has recently been presented, should make way for the definitive full-length use of the runway.
Hella Hendriks is Manager Marketing & Communications at Maastricht – company courtesy
Accomodating Schiphol flights
Ms. Hendriks thinks that MST certainly has a role to play in air cargo, since it is the only other Dutch airport that can handle freight.
CFG: Do you think that part of that traffic could come from carriers for which no slots are left at Schiphol?
HH: We think that some parties are willing to come to Maastricht.
CFG: Even with Liège Airport at your doorstep?
HH: We are convinced that these parties will prefer our airport, as it is in the same airport and customs system as Schiphol.
Sharp drop in volumes
Airlines serving Maastricht are Air One, Emirates Cargo, Turkish Cargo, Aerotranscargo, and Zimex. Services offered are Bogotá-Miami-Maastricht-Istanbul; Maastricht-Istanbul; Dubai-Lilongwe-Johannesburg-Nairobi-Maastricht- Zaragoza-Dubai; Dubai-Eldoret-Nairobi-Maastricht-Zaragoza-Dubai; London; Hongkong, and Muscat.
For 2023, preliminary forecasts show a volume of 35,000 tons of flown cargo, with more or less the same amount for trucked freight. Ms. Hendriks admits this would represent a sharp drop compared to the 108,218 tons of flown freight and 11,610 tons trucked in 2022.
“In the first place, this is due to the global volume decline, to which we are more vulnerable as our volumes are relatively small and relatively sparsely spread over the different airlines. Secondly, you mustn’t forget that our runway was closed for two months.”
Marcel Schoeters in Maastricht
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