In Denmark’s quiet heartland, Billund Airport is making noise in the European airfreight market. Known for its sharp focus on cargo operations, this regional hub has become a model of efficiency and specialisation. While many airports balance passenger and cargo operations, Billund has doubled down on its identity as a home for cargo operations, prioritising freighter activities, alongside serving almost four million passengers in 2024, to deliver a tailored approach and strong service level.
“This strategy has paid off,” Kaspar Andreas Nissen, Senior Manager Air Cargo at Billund Airport, said. “This focused setup makes us uniquely attractive to both current and potential operators. What customers truly value is an efficient and tailored process that ensures their goods move swiftly and reliably from point A to point B. That’s where Billund Airport excels.”
As a smaller, more agile hub, Billund prides itself on the ability to adapt to the specific needs of freighter operators in ways that larger airports often cannot.
Freight operations can be unpredictable—delays, special handling requirements, or last-minute trucking needs are all common challenges. Billund’s approach is to provide flexibility and responsiveness, utilising it’s size and positioning to ensure operations are handled with care and precision.
“If a task requires us to stay late, we do so. If an operator has unique requirements, we adjust our processes to meet them. This level of customisation and dedication is part of our DNA,” he added. “This customer-first philosophy has been integral to our growth over the past decade, and it’s something we are committed to preserving as we scale.”
Link in the chain
Billund Airport sees its primary role as acting as a connector—bringing together the different dots in the logistics chain, aligning the needs of freight forwarders with the capacity provided by airlines, as well as ensuring coordination with partner airports.
Awareness of market demands is key here. While launching a route is fairly easy, ensuring it becomes successful and sustainable is far more challenging. That’s where hubs can be critical facilitators within the supply chain.
For example, if a company which operates a warehouse near the airport indicates a need for increased capacity, they’ll inform Billund. At that point, the airport then bring that knowledge into discussions with airlines or partner airports—whether in the US, Asia, or elsewhere—to explore the potential for new route development.
“It’s about balancing supply and demand while fostering collaboration between all stakeholders,” Nissen expressed. “It’s one thing to showcase data, such as cargo trends, but it’s another to secure commitments from…
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