The chaos at Schiphol Airport (AMS) due to slot restrictions has impacted freighter operations, prompting shippers and forwarders to consider Maastricht (MST) as a potential alternative. However, there is a consensus that MST would require investment and improved connections to fully compete with AMS.
Maarten van As, MD of Air Cargo Netherlands, highlighted the uncertainty surrounding slot availability at AMS, leading stakeholders to seek alternative uplift capacity in the region. Meanwhile, CEO of Maastricht Airport, Jonas van Stekelenburg, expressed ambitions for MST to become the main alternative to Schiphol, emphasizing the shared systems and proximity between the two airports.
MST currently offers facilities such as cooling and freezing options and a certified pharma facility, making it an attractive option for certain industries. However, competition from nearby airports like Liege, Frankfurt, and Brussels poses a challenge for MST to establish itself as a preferred choice.
Despite being partially owned by Schiphol, MST has received significant investment to enhance its infrastructure and operations. The extension of the runway and other upgrades aim to improve MST’s attractiveness to shippers and forwarders. Nevertheless, MST still lags behind AMS in terms of network connectivity and capacity to worldwide destinations.
While MST may not be able to fully replace AMS, it holds potential as a supplementary option for air freight. Stakeholders hope that Schiphol will maintain its status as the primary cargo hub in the Netherlands, while MST continues to grow and expand its operations to become a more competitive alternative in the air freight industry.
