Barcelona-El Prat Airport is working towards the development of air cargo and the growth of this activity. So far this year (up to April) the Airport has recorded an increase of 8.7% over the same period in 2014, in all nearly 36,000 tonnes, a figure which confirms the positive momentum the sector is experiencing.
Improvement in competitiveness, search for new business opportunities, and improved dialogue with companies in the sector are some of the aims that we find within the framework of the Strategic Plan for Air Cargo Development drawn up by Aena. In this context, the creation of the Cargo Facilitation Committee, a group that combines efforts by all operators and companies participating in the logistics chain of air cargo transport, at Barcelona-El Prat Airport has been key in streamlining and improving air cargo operations processes at the Airport.
In the development of new business opportunities, and with the aim of reaching the business fabric more effectively, Aena is part of the Air Cargo Commission created by Barcelona-Catalonia Logistics Centre (BCL) for the promotion of air transport among the main companies in strategic industries which are currently textile, pharmaceutical, electrical and mechanical appliances, and imports, as well as fish and seafood.
Traditionally, Barcelona-El Prat Airport has always been naturally oriented towards Asia. Nowadays, growth in foreign trade has given rise to new needs for additional connections with the South East of this continent, notably operations with Qatar, the Arab Emirates, and Singapore. In this regard, it is important to highlight the work in attracting routes that is carried out by the Air Route Development Committee, which we are also part of.
The third line of work focuses on meeting the demand of all operators as a whole and providing them with a single channel of communication with the Airport, in order to improve service to industry enterprises and for these to feel supported in the development of their activity.
Freight transport is an essential axis of activity for Aena, thus, its participation in specific industry events, such as the International Logistics and Material Handling Exhibition, is necessary, not only because of its international character, but also due to the opportunity for business encounters it offers, and since it is the most important forum in Spain, the Mediterranean and Southern Europe.
Sonia Corrochano
Director of Barcelona-El Prat Airport