• Amsterdam Airport Schiphol handled 361,829 tonnes of cargo in Q1 2026, up 5% year-on-year, despite a March decline driven by Middle East disruption.
• Growth was supported by strong inbound demand from Asia, Africa and the Americas, while volumes to and from the Middle East dropped sharply.
• Full freighters gained share, and Road Feeder Services accounted for nearly a quarter of total cargo volumes.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol handled 361,829 tonnes of air cargo in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 5 percent year-on-year increase, despite geopolitical disruption impacting volumes in March.

After strong growth in January and February, cargo volumes declined slightly by 3 percent in March, reaching 128,281 tonnes. The decrease was primarily attributed to ongoing developments in the Middle East.

The split between belly and full freighter cargo in March stood at 41 percent and 59 percent respectively, with full freighters gaining three percentage points compared to the same period last year.

Inbound and outbound volumes were relatively balanced at 53 percent and 47 percent. Inbound cargo saw growth from the Far East (+8 percent), Middle and South America (+18 percent), and Africa (+15 percent), while volumes from the Middle East declined by 47 percent.

On the outbound side, shipments to the Far East increased by 10 percent and to Africa by 8 percent, while volumes to the United States fell by 4 percent. Cargo flows to the Middle East saw a significant decline of 50 percent.

Key commodities handled during March included electrical machinery, flowers, fashion, fruit and vegetables, pharmaceuticals, fish, and spare parts.

In addition to air cargo, Schiphol processed 42,132 tonnes of Road Feeder Service (RFS) cargo, accounting for nearly a quarter of total cargo volumes.

Maastricht Airport, often referred to as Schiphol’s “seventh runway,” handled 6,220 tonnes of air cargo, marking a 113 percent year-on-year increase.

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