Freight traffic among European airports decreased by 0.9 per cent during the first six months of the year. 

Figures released by ACI EUROPE, the European airport trade body, show that year-on-year there was a drop in the amount of activity and this could be linked to the ongoing financial troubles facing many eurozone countries. 

On top of this, aircraft movements at airports - which is traditionally viewed as an indicator of airline capacity - also decreased by 2.9 per cent.

Olivier Jankovec, director-general of ACI EUROPE - whose members handle 18 million tonnes of freight every year, said: "Airlines are still not adding much capacity to the market and freight traffic remains in recession."

However, this slump does not appear to be a worldwide phenomenon. The International Air Transport Association recently released figures for June that showed there was a 1.2 per cent year-on-year expansion in global air freight demand.