Frankfurt Airport Sees 7% Passenger Growth in First Half of 2024

Steady Growth at Frankfurt Airport

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) reported a 1.4% year-on-year increase in passenger numbers for June 2024, reaching 5.6 million travelers. Despite the boost last year from the timing of the Whitsun holiday, which fell in June 2023 compared to May this year, the airport continues to see growth. However, June 2024's passenger traffic remains 14.4% below pre-Covid levels in 2019.

First-Half Performance

From January to June 2024, Frankfurt Airport welcomed approximately 28.8 million passengers, marking a 7.0% year-on-year increase. This period's figures still lag 14.5% behind the corresponding pre-pandemic numbers from 2019.

Impact of Strikes and Market Dynamics

Dr. Stefan Schulte, CEO of Fraport AG, commented on the first half's performance: "We increased passenger numbers by 1.8 million and welcomed about 28.8 million travelers in Frankfurt. Without the numerous strikes at the beginning of the year, we would have served about 500,000 more passengers in the first half. Despite this shortfall, we are on track to achieve the projected volume of between 61 million and 65 million passengers for the full year. However, the German aviation market's recovery is hindered by high location-specific costs imposed by regulators, making it the slowest in Europe. Conversely, our Group airports in Greece, Antalya, and Lima have exceeded pre-crisis levels."

Cargo and Aircraft Movements

Cargo traffic at Frankfurt Airport, which includes airfreight and airmail, grew by 11.4% year-on-year to 178,324 metric tons in June. Aircraft movements increased by 1.5% to 39,475 takeoffs and landings, while maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs) rose by 2.3% to about 2.5 million metric tons.

International Portfolio Performance

Fraport’s international airports also saw varying results in June 2024. Ljubljana Airport (LJU) in Slovenia recorded a significant 15.3% year-on-year increase to 148,159 passengers. However, the combined traffic at Brazil’s Fortaleza (FOR) and Porto Alegre (POA) airports plummeted by 53.8% to 495,771 passengers due to the suspension of operations at POA following severe flooding. Lima Airport (LIM) in Peru experienced a 16.0% surge to around 1.9 million passengers.

European Airports

In Europe, Fraport’s 14 Greek regional airports reported a 5.9% year-on-year increase, welcoming a total of 5.3 million passengers. The Bulgarian coastal airports of Burgas (BOJ) and Varna (VAR) saw a 12.5% decrease, totaling 481,635 passengers. Meanwhile, Antalya Airport (AYT) on the Turkish Riviera achieved an 8.6% gain, serving about 4.9 million travelers.

Overall Traffic Growth

Overall, the total traffic at airports managed by the Fraport Group increased by 2.2% year-on-year, reaching approximately 18.9 million passengers in June 2024.