With some 24,000 jobs, 72% of which are full time employees (FTE), Brussels Airport is among Belgium’s major employers, a new study has revealed. Its findings may bring an important instrument in the dis-cussion to tackle pending issues such as noise regulations and a fed-eral aviation law.
The study was carried out by the Leuven University at the request of the airport’s recruiting vehicle Aviato. It focused on direct employment, distinguishing between three clusters: aviation as
such, other airport related activities – including cargo handling and warehousing, postal and courier services - and business.
It has revealed, among other things, that some 71% of the jobs are clerical, disputing the long-standing assumption that the airport is a job market for precarious and part-time employment.
Cargo accounts for at least 19%
The study also provides some sectorial analysis of employment in the respective segments. Of the 24,836 jobs, 2,268 are in cargo handling and warehousing and 2,276 in postal and courier services.
Together they account for 19% of the total. Of course, part of the 4,351 staff involved in air transport and of the 2,075 airport handling employees are also cargo related.
An overwhelming majority of the jobs are also of a steady nature, especially in the cargo handling activities. The benchmark for steadiness is in labour contracts last-ing longer than one year.
The latter is most prominent in cargo handling (72%), postal and courier services (73%) and overland cargo haulage (70%).
Instrumental in political discussions
Due to Brussels Airport’s location on the territory of the Flemish region, 74% of its employees are Flemish. Nevertheless, it is also an important job creator for both the Brussels (15.7%) and
the Walloon region (10.4%). It is not unlikely that this observation could be put to Brussels Airport Company’s advantage when engaging in discussions with the different powers that be,
CargoForwarder Global learnt from BAC’s CEO Arnaud Feist.
CFG: Mr Feist, will BAC refer to the results of this study in the discussions with the Brussels region over noise regulations and with the federal government over the aviation law?
AF: “These are very important findings for us but also the governmental bodies. After all, it’s the ministers who will have to decide on the
future of our aviation industry. Everything that may block the further development of this industry has a direct impact on employment. The same goes for Skeyes, the Belgian traffic control body
which on several occasions has disrupted aviation to and from Brussels over the last few weeks.”
Groundbreaking takes place for new logistics platform
For the new airside logistics platform at Brucargo West, the first foundation piles were placed at BRU. The new complex, to be inaugurated in 2020 will be occupied by Kuehne+Nagel, WFS and
Expeditors. The 100-million-euro investment is borne exclusively by Brussels Airport Company. The complex will most specifically bring additional cooling facilities to support the airport’s
biotech and pharma flows, as well as perishables. The logistics centre will follow the most stringent sustainability standards.
Marcel Schoeters in Brussels
Image: ms
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