Hamburg Airport’s traffic recovery begins to gather pace

Hamburg Airport handled 13.6 million passengers in 2023 as it continued its recovery from the global pandemic.

Indeed, aircraft load factors hit record levels during the year and passenger numbers hit an all-time high for October, although the annual passenger total remains 22% down on 2019.

Strong demand for holiday travel

Compared to 2022, 22% more passengers flew to or from Hamburg last year.

For the majority, these flights were for holidays or to visit friends and family. Private travel had a market share of just under 80%, while business travel was slightly above 20%.

The demand for holiday travel led to a strong summer and record-breaking October, with 1.45 million passengers, the highest volumes since the pandemic, passing through the German gateway,

The airport also set a new weekly record of 342,000 passengers and a daily record of 56,500 passengers, set on Friday 13 October 2023. Despite the positive trend, however, the airport is still around 22% below the 17.3 million passengers seen in 2019.

Christian Kunsch, CEO of Hamburg Airport, said: “The airlines plan more efficiently today, tailoring their product as precisely as possible to demand.

“As a result, capacity is utilised as well as possible, transporting significantly more passengers on today’s flights, sending a positive signal for more sustainable air travel.

“This development aligns completely with Hamburg Airport’s ambitious climate protection targets.”

Outlook for 2024: Positive traffic development

 Based on current forecasts, Hamburg Airport anticipates 14.3 million passengers for the coming year, representing an increase of around 5% over 2023.

“The development of the traffic figures gives me great confidence for the future,” enthused Kunsch.

“We also expect growth in 2024. The situation continues to improve. In particular, the rapid recovery of holiday travel after the pandemic clearly reveals the longing people sense for faraway places and the desire they have for mobility.

“I am especially thrilled by the fact that we already offer passengers a similar route network to what we had in 2019.

“With the announcement of several new direct routes within Europe and the new long-haul service between Hamburg and Doha, 2023 closed with good news for us at Hamburg Airport – and also for our passengers, who will have even more opportunities to travel in the new year.”