Strategic Vision 2040, as the project has been coined, has been developed with the intention of preparing for the 3.8% increase in passenger traffic and the 4.7% rise in cargo tonnages predicted by the year 2040, taking these figures to 40m passengers and 925,000 tonnes of cargo, respectively, hosted by the airport.
The project includes plans to revamp the airfreight village BRUcargo, replacing old buildings with more contemporary, energy-efficient structures to accommodate the additional 16.5m passengers that will pass through the facilities and the extra 435,000 tonnes of cargo being handled in 2040 compared to statistics from 2015.
Brussels Airport Company explained the importance of the initiative, referencing Belgium’s “export-driven economy” and that it subsequently “demands a strong logistics performance” to facilitate the region’s main industries, which fall into the category of cargo. These include pharmaceuticals, fresh produce and biotech products, amongst other areas; in all instances air cargo plays a key role in the success of the industry.
According to a report by Cargo Forwarder Global, the redesign will be grid-inspired, consisting of parallel roads home to various buildings, including warehouses, offices, handling agents’ premises and aircraft hangars. Owing to the organised layout of the site, the available space can be used efficiently, enabling through-traffic to flow smoothly.
Airside-adjacent buildings, in the first line area, will be constructed in a terraced fashion so as to create a sound barrier for the neighbouring area to the airport, and will be used by companies that transport, pack and store cargo. The second line, arranged perpendicular to the first, will also comprise parallel streets and, thus, afford easy access to trucks and other vehicles. Logistics companies and warehouses used for temporary storage will occupy this area. A further area will be designated for express companies, developed according to their requirements.
Of the Brussels airport Strategic Vision 2040, Air Cargo Belgium’s Vice President Bas van Goch, said: “We are pleased that this clear and ambitious plan has an eye for cargo as well,” adding that the airport was chosen as the best cargo airport in the world for the third consecutive year in 2016. “This was the result of years of hard work and investment in a forward-looking airport,” Bas remarked. He went on to say that the new project will enable the region to progress because innovation is essentially to retaining the top spot and the competitive edge. “E-commerce and technologically specialised industries are Belgium’s and Europe’s future,” he concluded.
