Singapore Airlines Cargo (Singapore Changi) will transfer its operations from Amsterdam Schiphol Schiphol to Brussels National at the end of October, after being forced out of over-capacity Amsterdam, reports De Tijd. The carrier had previously planned to cut its Brussels routes because of increasing noise sanctions at the airport.
Amsterdam's capacity crunch has hit cargo operators in particular. An agreement between the airport and local residents limits movements at Schiphol to 500,000 per year. Airlines which fail the 80/20 rule – i.e. they must run 80% of flights to schedule – are the first to lose their slots. This obviously presents a problem to cargo companies which frequently need to adjust their schedules based on supply chain and logistics.
In late 2016, SIA Cargo was among a handful of cargo operators who threatened to abandon Brussels National over its strict noise regulations. Financial penalties were put in place earlier this year for aircraft which exceed noise standards in place by nine decibels during the day and six at night, and Singapore Airlines Cargo has already received fines for breaching the regulations. A report in De Morgen from July has suggested that none of the fined airlines – SIA Cargo, Brussels Airlines (SN, Brussels National), and ACG Air Cargo Global (Bratislava) – had actually yet paid their fines while they tried to find an alternative solution.
But with no slots available at Schiphol, Singapore has been forced to increase its presence at Brussels, with its Bengaluru International flights starting on October 30. Overall, SIA Cargo will operate seven weekly flights from Brussels to Singapore Changi that either stop in Bangalore, Mumbai International or Sharjah. From Amsterdam, it will just operate two weekly flights to London Heathrow and three weekly flights via Sharjah to Singapore Changi this winter season, according to ch-aviation analysis of schedule data.
