Positive cargo development: cargo volume up 2.6%
The cargo business at Vienna Airport developed positively in 2018, reporting a total cargo volume (incl. trucking) of 295,427 tonnes, comprising a rise of 2.6% compared to 2017. Air cargo alone rose substantially by 4.4% to 215,921 tonnes, whereas trucking declined by 1.9% to 79,506 tonnes.
The Flughafen Wien Group is the operator of the Austrian airport and said air cargo alone rose substantially by 4.4 per cent to 215,921 tonnes, whereas trucking declined by 1.9 per cent to 79,506 tonnes. In the last month of the year in December, the airport processed 23,484 tonnes of cargo, a 4.1 per cent decline on the same month in 2017.
The Flughafen Wien Group’s other investments include Malta Airport where in 2018 cargo tonnage was up 8.2 per cent to 15,830 tonnes. Infrastructure developments are taking place in Vienna and the group said that financially it is on a strong footing and in 2019 it is forecasting strong figures.
In 2019, revenue is anticipated to rise to more than €820 million, and an EBITDA exceeding €370 million is being targeted for 2019. The consolidated net profit it estimates will reach at least €165 million.
Flughafen Wien said it plans to further reduce its net debt to a level below €150 million and it will invest around €240 million in 2019. Member of the management board, Günther Ofner said: “We expect an increase in the net profit for the period by at least 10% to €165 million in 2019, higher investments totalling approx.
“€240 million and above all, the number of employees at Vienna Airport will climb to about 25,000 thanks to growth of existing business operations as well as the location of new companies at the airport site. “Flughafen Wien AG will invest roughly €2.5 billion (excl. the 3rd runway) in the ten-year period until 2028.“The plans of the EU Commission to centralise airport charges would comprise a massive obstruction of the 3rd runway. For this reason, these plans should be rejected from an Austrian standpoint.”
