In terms of international traffic, German airports are almost as busy as they were before Corona. However, things are different within Germany. From the industry’s perspective, this is also due to the high fees.
The Whitsun holidays have boosted demand for air travel to and from Germany. In May, 19.7 million passengers used German airports, according to industry association ADV. That was 10 percent more than in the same month last year, but also 12.1 percent less than in May 2019, the last year before the coronavirus pandemic, which led to a sharp decline in air traffic.
International traffic in May almost reached pre-crisis levels. The 14.15 million passengers in European traffic represented almost 97 percent of the figure from five years ago. 3.44 million passengers traveled intercontinentally, a good 99 percent compared to May 2019. The significantly restricted domestic German air traffic was thus almost solely responsible for the decline in the total number. 2.1 million domestic German passengers were less than half (48.4 percent) of the number from the pre-Corona spring of 2019.
German airports attribute the weak demand compared to other European countries to high government-influenced costs. The air traffic tax and air security costs, which were increased again in May, have led to many airlines no longer being willing to fly to and from Germany. These costs are particularly significant on short domestic flights. The ADV also complains about a lack of competition on domestic routes, which are mainly served by the Lufthansa Group, while other providers have withdrawn.
Source: Stern