Amsterdam Schiphol handled 127,750 tonnes of cargo in September, an 8 percent year-on-year increase that signals European air freight is finding its footing after the EU scrapped the low value goods duty exemption on 1 July.

The numbers carry weight because they follow a rough summer. Inbound cargo from the Far East had dropped 15 percent from pre-cessation volumes after the customs change landed, and the market has spent three months adjusting to the new regime. September marks a clear improvement since August.

Year-to-date, Schiphol's volumes are up 10 percent. Maastricht Aachen Airport — part of Royal Schiphol Group and widely dubbed Schiphol's '7th runway' — is outpacing its parent at 17 percent growth over the same period.

What does the tonnage split tell carriers?

The belly-to-freighter split shifted to 46 percent versus 54 percent in September, against 44/56 a year earlier. Belly-hold freight gained 2 percentage points. That matters for freighter operators at AMS: passenger capacity is absorbing a growing share of the recovery, tightening the space full freighter operators can claim.

Maastricht, which operates as an all-cargo reliever hub, handled 4,158 tonnes in September on its 17 percent run rate. Road Feeder Service added another 35,149 tonnes at AMS — a trucking figure that now rivals mid-size air cargo gateways on its own.

Which lanes drove the growth?

Outbound volumes grew 13 percent overall, but the regional spread is uneven:

• North America: +26 percent
• Middle and South America: +44 percent
• Africa: +20 percent
• Far East: +11 percent
• Middle East: −14 percent

Latin America is the standout, and it is no accident. Schiphol's top commodities — electrical machinery, flowers, fish, fruit, vegetables, pharma and spare parts — lean heavily on the airport's cool chain capability. Perishables and pharma flows from and to South America and Africa sit squarely in that wheelhouse, and the outbound numbers show it.

The Middle East's 14 percent decline is the one soft spot on the departure board, a reminder that Gulf-hub competition for transfer traffic remains fierce even when the broader market grows.

What does this mean for shippers and forwarders?

For shippers moving cool chain cargo into or out of northwest Europe, the September data reinforces Schiphol's position as the region's primary perishables and pharma gateway. The recovering Far East inbound lane, after the 15 percent dip triggered by the EU's customs ruling, suggests e-commerce-driven volumes from Asia are rerouting and normalising rather than disappearing.

For forwarders, the belly share gain means more passenger-deck options at AMS and continued freighter capacity at Maastricht for the overflow — a two-airport setup Royal Schiphol Group has deliberately cultivated.

For carriers, the message is mixed. Overall growth of 8 percent with a 10 percent year-to-date run rate supports capacity commitments, but the belly shift compresses yields on freighter-heavy lanes. Operators betting on dedicated freighter growth at AMS face a gateway where passenger bellies are eating into their share one point at a time.

What comes next?

The trajectory into the fourth quarter looks constructive: Far East inbound improving month on month since August, outbound broad-based across four of five regions, and Maastricht compounding at 17 percent. If the post-exemption Far East lane keeps rebuilding at the current pace, Schiphol's double-digit year-to-date growth should hold through peak season.