Barcelona seeks to boost its airport as an international air cargo hub with new strategy and observatory

 

the community of air cargo de Barcelona met at a meeting organized by the Air Cargo and Logistics Security Commission of Barcelona-Catalunya Centre Logístic (BCL). The event served as a platform to present the BCN 2024 Air Cargo Observatory, a comprehensive analysis of the sector's performance over the past year, and to announce new initiatives aimed at promoting Barcelona Airport as an important international cargo hub.

 

During the day, Jaume AdroverAdrover, CEO of GPA and head of BCL's Air Cargo and Logistics Security Commission, highlighted the organization's commitment to generating more air cargo in Barcelona. "We are working on various initiatives to see how we can generate more air cargo in Barcelona," Adrover stated, acknowledging that 80% of the cargo passing through the airport originates from or is destined for the province of Barcelona. To this end, BCL proposes implementing an International Air Cargo Strategy with the aim of attracting more goods suitable for air transport.

 

The BCN 2024 Air Cargo Observatory, presented by Javier Enebral, Aviation Consultant at GPA, revealed interesting data about the sector. In 2024, factors such as the rise of e-commerce, the crisis of the Red Sea and instability in the Suez Canal boosted demand for air cargo transport, slightly outstripping supply. This translated into a 12% increase in global airline revenues compared to the previous year, and a 20% growth is forecast for 2025.

 

In terms of the ranking of European airports for air cargo, Barcelona climbed one position to 22nd place, thanks to a 12,2% growth in air cargo between September 2023 and August 2024. The analysis of the main Spanish airports showed a diverse behaviour depending on the type of cargo. In Barcelona, ​​cargo in the hold (belly cargo) grew by 20,4%, cargo in pure freighters increased by 1,4% and Courier cargo grew by 5,8%.

 

The Observatory also highlighted the evolution of the weight of cargo in the hold of passenger aircraft, which reached 66,1% in 2024, driven by the Restoration of intercontinental connectivity in Barcelona and the increase in flight frequencies to international destinations.

 

As for the sectors that use air transport, fashion positioned itself as the main sector in cargo volume in 2024, followed by the pharmaceutical and chemical sector, machinery and metal manufacturing, electronic and mechanical products, and food products.

 

China remains Barcelona's main trading partner in air cargo, followed by the United States and India

 

The day also addressed the new developments in official health controls at the border, presented by Jose Luis Guarga, from the Functional Area of ​​Agriculture and Fisheries of the Government Delegation in Catalonia. Guarga explained that the entry into force of Order PJC/756/2024 on October 1, 2024 does not reduce health controls or change import conditions, but rather optimizes resources and improves the efficiency of controls.

 

With the restructuring of the Border Control Posts (PCF), the system has gone from three separate teams to a single inspection team that encompasses the entire border health control system. In addition, two types of filters have been established: AGRITIN for the introduction or re-introduction of animals and goods, and AGRIM for the control of the import of goods.

 

The creation of the Inter-Ministerial Commission for monitoring official border controls will ensure coordination between public health, animal health and plant health policies, avoiding duplications and inefficiencies.

 

The day concluded with a positive assessment of the activities carried out by the BCL Air Cargo and Logistics Security Commission in 2024 and with the presentation of the initiatives planned for 2025, including conferences and webinars on security, data loggers, specialized products and dangerous goods, as well as participation in international fairs such as the Air Cargo Forum, SIL or World Routes.