Statistics compiled by the German federal government show that half of all the airfreight arriving in Germany in 2006 came from Asia.

As a result of this increased trade, cargo arrivals at all German airports have increased by 8.5 per cent year on year to 1.59 million tons.

A total of 792,000 tons of airfreight was inbound from Asia, with 149,800 tons unloaded from China alone, an increase of 23 per cent over the previous year. Within the total amount, 117,100 tons of airfreight came from Hong Kong, up 20 per cent year on year.

In the opposite direction, companies transporting goods by air have been struggling to fill the planes, with China-bound air cargo amounting to 86,800 tons and 69,900 tons destined for Hong Kong.

Overall outbound loadings at German airports totalled 1.62 million tons, a rise of 10 per cent, the figures from the Federal Statistics Office indicated.