newstodate.aero
Aug 31, 2010 (newstodate): In Serbia, air cargo volumes have been stagnating in 2010 at the country's capital Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.
During the first seven months of 2010, a total of 3,783 tonnes of cargo was handled at the airport, including flown air cargo only.
This was only 15 tonnes below volumes in the same period in 2009 - but the balance was obtained only by a growth in June and July by 45 and 12 percent, respectively, while other months were marked by negative growth.
-So except for these two months, volumes have gone down, but a significant point is that within this negative growth, the export volumes have increased significantly, now constituting nearly 50 percent, says Goran Todorovic, Nikola Tesla Airport cargo manager.
-The stagnation in volumes reflect of course first of all the effects from the global economic crisis that hit Serbia with some delay. Hopes are now that the months October-December that are normally the busiest period here will return growth in cargo to the airport.
-While JAT has been hit by problems and cancellations during the period, the carrier still contributes about half of the volumes, with DHL, Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa being also among the most important contributors of cargo volumes here.
-As the total cargo volumes have not required major new projects to be built, we are instead focusing on developing the infrastructure of the cargo facilities. Investments have been made in the EDP and IT structure, including implementation of new IT software and capability to transfer data electronically from our bonded warehouse to Serbian customs, and bar-code readers are being installed as well. Video surveillance of the air cargo area is also being prepared although it is still not known if this will be completed before the end of 2010.
-The data software installation will be completed by the end of October, and staff will then be sent for training in the new system that will be commissioned from January 1, 2011. All this will help to speed up the procedures and ease communication between the parties in the air cargo industry and the authorities, and in this way we prepare ourselves for a renewed growth in the airport's cargo business, says Mr Todorovic.
During the first seven months of 2010, a total of 3,783 tonnes of cargo was handled at the airport, including flown air cargo only.
This was only 15 tonnes below volumes in the same period in 2009 - but the balance was obtained only by a growth in June and July by 45 and 12 percent, respectively, while other months were marked by negative growth.
-So except for these two months, volumes have gone down, but a significant point is that within this negative growth, the export volumes have increased significantly, now constituting nearly 50 percent, says Goran Todorovic, Nikola Tesla Airport cargo manager.
-The stagnation in volumes reflect of course first of all the effects from the global economic crisis that hit Serbia with some delay. Hopes are now that the months October-December that are normally the busiest period here will return growth in cargo to the airport.
-While JAT has been hit by problems and cancellations during the period, the carrier still contributes about half of the volumes, with DHL, Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa being also among the most important contributors of cargo volumes here.
-As the total cargo volumes have not required major new projects to be built, we are instead focusing on developing the infrastructure of the cargo facilities. Investments have been made in the EDP and IT structure, including implementation of new IT software and capability to transfer data electronically from our bonded warehouse to Serbian customs, and bar-code readers are being installed as well. Video surveillance of the air cargo area is also being prepared although it is still not known if this will be completed before the end of 2010.
-The data software installation will be completed by the end of October, and staff will then be sent for training in the new system that will be commissioned from January 1, 2011. All this will help to speed up the procedures and ease communication between the parties in the air cargo industry and the authorities, and in this way we prepare ourselves for a renewed growth in the airport's cargo business, says Mr Todorovic.