Freight traffic at BER on the rise

Freight traffic at BER on the rise

Air freight volumes at Berlin Brandenburg Airport continue to increase. Last year, almost 44,300 tonnes of freight were handled at BER, around 10,000 tonnes more than in 2023. The boom in e-commerce products from China in particular is causing a large increase in additional freight at the capital's airport.

Additional cargo essential for long-haul flights

In 2024, around 71 percent of air freight volume at BER was accounted for by additional cargo. This corresponds to approximately 31,600 tonnes. This type of cargo plays a key role in making long-haul flights with wide-body aircraft economically viable. Additional cargo can account for up to 20 percent of revenue. It also enables the regional economy to be efficiently connected to global goods traffic. Airlines such as Turkish Airlines (BER-Istanbul), Qatar Airways (BER-Doha), United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Norse Atlantic Airways (BER-New York) and Hainan Airlines (BER-Beijing) transport passengers and important additional cargo on their flights to international hubs. 

This is clearly illustrated by the example of Hainan Airlines: since the introduction of direct flights between the capital region and Beijing in September 2008, goods have been regularly transported in the cargo holds of Airbus A330 aircraft. In 2024, the Beijing-BER route recorded a total of 225 flights with a cargo volume of around 4,000 tonnes. The incoming goods mainly comprise e-commerce products, electronics, textiles and food, and originate predominantly from the provinces of Guangdong and Shanghai. In addition to its destination Berlin-Brandenburg, the freight is also forwarded to other European freight centres such as Frankfurt, Liège, Amsterdam and Warsaw.

Norse Atlantic Airways also relies on additional cargo. The Boeing 787 transports around 15 tonnes of cargo per flight on its routes from BER to the USA. The additional cargo often comes from Germany, but also from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and the Benelux countries. The cargo usually consists of consolidated loads, including automotive parts, electrical goods, machine parts, food, laboratory equipment and medical products. After landing, most of the cargo is transported by truck to destinations throughout the USA. 

FedEx and UPS aim for strong growth at BER

In addition to belly cargo, scheduled freight traffic is also becoming increasingly important at BER. In 2024, around 12,100 tonnes of cargo were handled in scheduled traffic. Express services such as UPS and FedEx have expanded their activities at BER and are planning a massive expansion of their capacities by 2035. UPS operates cargo flights between BER and Cologne/Bonn, while FedEx flies from Paris via BER to Gdansk. Both companies have ambitious plans: by 2035, they want to handle a total of around 34,000 tonnes of cargo annually at BER.

Security and control at the Cargo Centre

The Cargo Centre at Berlin Brandenburg Airport plays a central role in air freight traffic at BER. Not only are freight shipments prepared and packed for onward transport there, they are also subjected to strict security and quality controls. Before loading, the freight is X-rayed and larger packages are checked by an explosive detection dog from the ground handling service provider WISAG. In addition, the State Office for Rural Development, Agriculture and Land Consolidation (LELF) carries out plant health checks to detect pest infestation in imported plants, among other things. Customs is also based at the Cargo Centre and ensures that no prohibited goods such as stuffed wild animals, furs or counterfeit branded clothing are imported.

The information published on this page corresponds to the status on the date of publication or update.