Amsterdam Airport Schiphol saw its cargo volumes decline by 2.6% in March, a result the airport linked primarily to the continuing conflict in the Middle East.
According to the airport’s latest figures, Schiphol handled 128,281 tonnes of cargo during the month. In a LinkedIn update published on 16 April, the airport’s cargo division said the drop was mainly driven by ongoing geopolitical developments in the Middle East.
The split between belly cargo and full freighters stood at 41% and 59% respectively, with full freighters gaining three percentage points compared with March last year.
Inbound and outbound traffic was divided 53% to 47%. On the inbound side, Schiphol recorded strong growth from the Far East, up 8%, Middle and South America, up 18%, and Africa, up 15%. By contrast, inbound volumes from the Middle East dropped by 47%.
Outbound figures showed a similar pattern. Volumes to the Far East increased by 10%, while Africa was up 8%. Traffic to the US fell by 4%, while cargo to the Middle East dropped by 50%.
Schiphol said the top commodities handled in March included electrical machinery, flowers, fashion, fruit and vegetables, pharmaceuticals, fish and spare parts.
The airport also processed 42,132 tonnes of road feeder service cargo, accounting for nearly a quarter of its total cargo volumes.
The March performance follows a weaker overall result in 2025. According to Airports Council International Europe, Schiphol’s cargo volumes last year fell by 4.2% to 1.43 million tonnes.
