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Air travel: Popular again, unless there is a strike
Photo: Federico Gambarini/DPA
Despite significant growth compared to the previous year, the number of passengers at German airports in 2023 will still be well below pre-pandemic levels. Last year, 19.3 percent more people took off or landed from the 23 largest German airports than in 2022, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Accordingly, the airports counted around 185.2 million passengers in 2023. However, passenger traffic fell 18.3 percent from the pre-crisis level of 2019, when main airports recorded an all-time high of 226.7 million passengers.
In particular, domestic German traffic was unable to reach pre-pandemic levels. Compared to 2019, it fell by 50.4 percent, significantly more than traffic abroad (minus 14.7 percent). According to statisticians, this may also indicate a significantly lower level of passengers on domestic flights in the long term.
As many air trips this year as before Corona?
The international airport association ACI expects passenger numbers in Europe to return to pre-crisis levels this year. In particular, demand for private trips and holiday flights is growing steadily, while the number of business trips is declining, it said.
In addition, freight transport at Germany's main airports fell by 7.1 percent to 4.6 million tons last year. In the previous year, 4.9 million tons were transported, in 2019 4.7 million tons.
mamk/Reuters