Germany’s major airports are struggling to recover to pre-pandemic passenger levels, raising concerns about the nation’s competitiveness and the knock-on effects for the tourism and business travel sectors. A recent study by the German Aviation Association (BDF), obtained by “Rheinische Post”, reveals a persistent shortfall in passenger numbers and flight operations across ten key airports, falling significantly short of the 2019 benchmark.
The analysis encompassed airports in Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin-Brandenburg, Leipzig-Halle, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dresden and Hannover. Even at Frankfurt and Munich, Germany’s primary aviation hubs, passenger numbers are projected to remain around 90% of 2019 levels as late as 2025. Munich anticipates handling roughly 44 million passengers, a considerable drop from the 47.9 million seen in 2019. Frankfurt is forecast to accommodate 62.7 million, down from 70.6 million. Smaller airports exhibit even more pronounced declines; Düsseldorf faces a projected 21.1 million passengers in 2025, compared to 25.5 million in 2019. The consolidation of Berlin’s airport infrastructure resulted in a significant decrease, with BER expected to handle approximately 26.2 million passengers this year, a stark contrast to the combined 35.6 million that departed from Tegel and Schönefeld in 2019.
The diminished passenger numbers correlate with a reduction in available destinations, compounding the issue. This trend is fueling rising airfares, a direct consequence of airlines withdrawing aircraft from German routes. Christoph Ploß, aviation expert for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Tourism Coordinator for the German government, expressed concern, stating that airlines are pulling resources out of Germany, thus driving up costs for both leisure and business travelers.
Ploß has strongly advocated for an immediate reduction in the aviation tax (Luftverkehrsteuer) and the elimination of other competitive disadvantages plaguing the German aviation sector. Critics suggest the current tax regime, implemented in recent years, actively discourages air travel and incentivizes airlines to operate elsewhere, potentially jeopardizing Germany’s position as a key transportation hub and negatively impacting the national economy. The situation raises broader questions regarding the government’s commitment to supporting the aviation industry and its role in facilitating international connectivity.