Frankfurt airport handled 11 percent less freight in March than a year ago as a night flight ban aggravated the impact of a weak global economy on Europe's second largest cargo hub.

The drop to 180,332 metric tons, which was also due to strike-related flight cancellations, left traffic in the first quarter down 12.2 percent from the same period in 2011, at 476,777 tons.

Frankfurt faces further monthly declines in cargo traffic after Germany's federal administrative court earlier this month upheld the temporary night flight ban that came into effect in late October.

Lufthansa Cargo, whose freighters bore the brunt of the ban, saw freight shipments shrink 12.6 percent in March to 160,000 tons.

Fraport, Frankfurt's owner, said traffic at its majority owned airports, which also include Antalya,Turkey, Lima, Peru, and Burgas and Varna in Bulgaria, dropped 10 percent in March to 204,474 tons.

Traffic in the first quarter was down 10.9 percent at 546,509 tons.