Istanbul Airport overtakes Frankfurt Airport and takes first place in air cargo traffic in Europe in 2024, according to a study by the German aviation association BDL (Be De El), quoted by “Hürriyet Daily News“, BTA reports.
According to the study, the global volume of air cargo traffic increased by 6% in 2024. Against this background, “Istanbul Airport“ registered an impressive growth of 39.6% and for the first time displaces „Frankfurt“ from the leading position in Europe.
In comparison, „Frankfurt“ Airport reported a modest growth of 1.2% for the same year. According to analysts from BDL, the main reason for the slower growth is lower operating costs and simplified logistics procedures in Germany's neighboring countries, which attract a significant part of the cargo traffic.
Despite its success in 2024, „Istanbul“ Airport reported a slight decline in early 2025. According to statistics for the period January - April, it processed a total of 596,300 tons of cargo - 9% less compared to the same period of the previous year, notes „Hürriyet Daily News“.