German airports could get crowded on the Pentecost weekend. The airports are expecting around 2.5 million passengers. The desire to travel has increased significantly compared to the previous year.
After Easter there will be the next major rush at German airports in Germany. The airports are expecting around 2.5 million passengers this Pentecost weekend. This was announced by the airport association ADV. This is an increase compared to the previous year and corresponds to an increase of five percent.
“The traffic development on the long Pentecost weekend shows that the desire for vacation trips is unbroken,” said ADV Managing Director Ralph Beisel.
Allow more time at the airport
German airports therefore advise passengers to allow significantly more time for their arrival. “To ensure a relaxed start to their holiday, passengers should not only allow more time on the way to the airport on the day of departure, but also plan a time buffer for their stay at the airport,” said Munich Airport.
Passengers are advised to check in online before traveling and, if possible, to check in the evening before for their luggage. In order to shorten waiting times at security checkpoints, passengers should also take as little hand luggage as possible with them.
Location costs have doubled
Despite rising numbers, air traffic in Germany is recovering noticeably more slowly than in the rest of Europe, according to the airport association ADV. After the corona pandemic, location costs in this country – especially aviation security fees and air traffic taxes – would have doubled.
“This is not without consequences: the high demand for flights from private and business travelers is offset by weak offers from the airlines,” said Beisel. Air traffic needs a moratorium on charges in order to be able to rebuild the necessary connections for travelers and the economy.
More passengers at Frankfurt Airport
At Frankfurt Airport, the number of passengers in the first quarter of 2024 was still 15 percent below that of the pre-Corona year of 2019. Nevertheless, the operator Fraport increased its sales in the first quarter of the year by around 16 percent to a good 890 million euros, as the company announced today.
In the first quarter, in addition to snow and ice, Fraport in Frankfurt was particularly affected by the strikes at Lufthansa and the employees at the passenger checkpoints. Nevertheless, the number of passengers at Germany’s largest aviation hub increased by more than a tenth to 12.5 million.
According to the company, there would have been around 600,000 more without strikes and winter weather. At many airports, especially in holiday destinations such as Turkey and Greece, Fraport even has more passengers than before the corona pandemic.