Cargo Volume at Frankfurt Airport Continues to Increase

Fraport AG, operator of Frankfurt Airport and other airports, reports a significant increase in cargo volume for September. Due to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, passenger numbers have also risen sharply. The other group airports are also showing predominantly positive developments.

(Frankfurt/Main) In September, Frankfurt Airport counted around 3.1 million passengers. Compared to the very weak comparison month of the previous year, this represents an increase of 169.1 percent. The positive development was primarily due to tourist traffic. As in August, nearly half of the pre-crisis level was reached (down 54.0 percent compared to September 2019).¹

Cumulatively, over the first nine months of the year, passenger traffic totaled around 15.8 million passengers. This corresponds to a decrease of 2.2 percent compared to the same period in 2020 and a decline of 70.8 percent compared to 2019.

Cargo volume increased again, achieving a significant increase of 13.4 percent to 188,177 tons (up 7.7 percent compared to September 2019). The number of flight movements rose by 66.1 percent compared to the same month last year, reaching 28,135 takeoffs and landings. The total maximum takeoff weights grew by 61.5 percent to nearly 1.8 million tons.

The positive trend in passenger numbers also continued in the international portfolio. With the exception of the Chinese airport Xi’an, the group airports recorded significant increases of over one hundred percent, albeit based on the significantly reduced air traffic in September 2020. Compared to the same month in 2019, the group airports still predominantly recorded declines. Important holiday destinations such as the Greek airports and Antalya in Turkey reached nearly 80 percent of the pre-crisis level (compared to September 2019).

Ljubljana Airport in Slovenia recorded 65,133 passengers in September. At the Brazilian airports in Fortaleza and Porto Alegre, passenger traffic rose to 820,169 passengers. Lima Airport in Peru recorded nearly 1.1 million passengers.

Holiday Destinations in Greece and Bulgaria Increase

At the 14 Greek regional airports, passenger traffic increased to around 3.4 million passengers. The Bulgarian Twin Star airports Burgas and Varna recorded an increase to 328,990 passengers in September. Traffic at Antalya Airport in Turkey rose to around 3.8 million passengers. The airport in St. Petersburg, Russia, counted nearly 1.9 million passengers. Xi’an Airport in China recorded nearly 2.3 million passengers.

Photo: © Fraport