Germany's Leipzig Halle has stellar year for air freight volumes

LEIPZIG HALLE Airport, Germany's second biggest air freight hub and transshipment gateway in Europe, handled record volumes in 2012 with throughput up 13.6 per cent to 863,665 tonnes.

This is the eighth year in a row that airport authorities have recorded growth in air traffic volumes, reported London's Air Cargo News.

"Leipzig Halle Airport and Dresden International Airport both recorded good traffic figures in 2012 given the difficult general conditions," said Markus Kopp, CEO of parent company Mitteldeutsche Airport Holdings.

"Despite the negative impact of the air traffic tax, the development of the economy and the demise of one airline partner, both airports were able to record very good results and gain new airline customers," he said.