Revenue and profit Boosted by higher passenger demand says German airport operator Fraport

The Covid-19 pandemic continued to impact Fraport AG's financial performance in fiscal year 2021 (ended Dec. 31). Nevertheless, Fraport increased its revenue and operating result (EBITDA) year-on-year, despite the ongoing volatile market environment. This positive trend was mainly supported by the company's strict cost management and by the ongoing traffic recovery during the second half of 2021 – in Frankfurt, and particularly at the Group's airports worldwide. The Group result (net profit) moved clearly back into positive territory, reaching €91.8 million at year-end 2021 (2019: minus €690.4 million).

Fraport AG's CEO, Dr. Stefan Schulte, commented: "We have used the past year to further increase our competitiveness, thus strengthening Fraport's position for future growth. We have realigned our company by implementing strict cost management and, where necessary, adopting immediate personnel-reduction measures – in response to noticeably lower traffic volumes now. Fraport has become a leaner and more efficient company than before the pandemic. This will be a decisive factor for our future success, while also entailing even greater flexibility – also in view of the current geopolitical situation. A look at the current flight bookings situation gives cause for optimism. The booking figures clearly underscore that people are eager to travel again. For this reason, we are now focusing on ramping up operations. This includes plans to recruit up to 1,000 operational staff in 2022. At the same time, we are intensifying our climate goals. Our aim is to become carbon-free by 2045 – in Frankfurt, as well as at all our Group airports worldwide."

Positive financial performance largely driven by traffic growth

Transaction process started at bankrupt Frankfurt-Hahn Airport in Germany

The provisional insolvency administrator of the companies of the Frankfurt-Hahn Airport Group, Dr Jan Markus Plathner, has commissioned the renowned Düsseldorf-based M&A consultancy Falkensteg to look for one or more investors for the German Frankfurt-Hahn Airport Group or its assets including the property. Investors have the option of acquiring all assets, units to be defined or single assets. Among other things, Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (ICAO code: EDFH) in Rhineland-Palatinate is comprised of various operating properties and expansion areas, a 3,800-metre runway, as well as a 24-hour operating permit which enables flight operations around the clock, 365 days a year.

Several airlines offer numerous connections in passenger traffic, worldwide cargo connections are also in existence. At the airport, hangars with a separate truck access road are available for air cargo handling. Since 2017, the demand for air cargo has been steadily increasing at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport. A total of around 233,000 tonnes were handled in 2020, making Frankfurt-Hahn the number 4 in German air cargo, after the airports of Frankfurt am Main, Leipzig/Halle and Cologne/Bonn, and well ahead of the air traffic hub Munich. Frankfurt-Hahn is located in the middle of one of the most important economic areas in Europe: the so-called "Blue Banana", which stretches across western Europe from Marseille to London via Switzerland, western Germany and the Benelux countries.

Falkensteg will conduct a broad market approach addressing national and international investors in a public tender procedure. Interested parties will be informed about Frankfurt-Hahn Airport by means of a special data room.

Fraport Group Interim Report - First Half 2021: Traffic Rebounds Noticeably

Passenger numbers rising during summer travel season – Costs reduced significantly – Fraport achieves positive Group result thanks to one-off effects

The business performance of the Fraport global airport company continued to be impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic during the first six months of 2021. Following a weak first quarter, traffic figures markedly picked up again in the second quarter of 2021 across all of the Group's airports worldwide. For the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Fraport again achieved a positive Group result (net profit) in the reporting period – supported by rising demand and reduced costs, as well as a pandemic compensation payment from the government.

Fraport AG's CEO, Dr. Stefan Schulte, said: "The pandemic compensation from the German and State of Hesse governments strengthens our equity base. This enables us to continue our investments in climate protection and infrastructure development projects. At the same time, we have reduced our costs significantly. Consequently, our operating result is now back in the black again. Also thanks to our broad and diverse international airport portfolio the Fraport Group is well positioned to benefit from the expected recovery in air travel."

Passenger traffic rebounds noticeably

Frankfurt Flights Back At London City Airport

Another key business route will be returning to London's most centrally located convenient airport, London City, from 7th September.

The German carrier Lufthansa and the docklands located London City Airport have confirmed that from the start of September the direct central London and Frankfurt service will resume with two flights a day. 

London City Airport’s Head of Aviation, Anne Doyere, said:  "The resumption of our Frankfurt route is a significant milestone for London City Airport and a positive sign for the UK’s and Europe’s economic recovery, restoring a very popular connection between two of the world’s most important financial centres.

We have already seen demand from passengers to travel, especially for a summer holiday after months of lockdown. As restrictions continue to ease, with businesses increasing activity and more people getting back to work, we anticipate demand for business travel on routes such as this will grow as we head into the autumn. Lufthansa’s decision to resume this route with twice-daily flights demonstrates their confidence in that too.

“We are working with all of our airline partners to re-establish other important and popular routes as soon as possible, to provide the fast and convenient connectivity needed to recover from the impact of the Coronavirus."

Fraport Traffic Figures 2019: Frankfurt Airport Serves More than 70.5 Million Passengers

Fraport Traffic Figures 2019: Frankfurt Airport Serves More than 70.5 Million Passengers

New annual record achieved in Frankfurt despite slower growth - Most of Fraport's Group airports worldwide also performed well

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) served more than 70.5 million passengers in 2019 – achieving a new all-time record by exceeding the 70-million mark for the first time in a calendar year. Compared to the previous year, this represents a passenger increase of 1.5 percent. Following a positive trend in the first half of 2019 (up 3.0 percent), passenger volumes largely stagnated in the second half of the year (up 0.2 percent). In the months of November and December 2019, passenger numbers declined for the first time since November 2016. The relatively weaker growth in full-year passenger numbers can be mainly attributed to domestic traffic (down 3.4 percent) and European traffic (up 1.2 percent). In contrast, intercontinental traffic to and from FRA increased by 3.4 percent in 2019.

Frankfurt Airport sees a decline in traffic during November.....

In November 2019, Frankfurt Airport (FRA) welcomed almost 5.1 million passengers – representing a 3.4 percent decrease compared to the same month last year the latest figures show.  The thinned-out winter flight schedule and the two-day strike by Lufthansa cabin staff had a negative impact on passenger numbers. Without the strike effect, FRA's passenger traffic would have declined only slightly by 1.1 percent year-on-year. Intercontinental traffic to and from Frankfurt continued to grow robustly by 2.1 percent. In contrast, European traffic fell markedly by 6.5 percent due to airline bankruptcies and other factors. Aircraft movements shrank by 5.8 percent to 38,790 takeoffs and landings. Accumulated maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs) also contracted by 4.0 percent to around 2.4 million metric tons. Reflecting the ongoing slowdown of the global economy, cargo throughput (comprising airfreight and airmail) dropped by 5.0 percent to 186,670 metric tons.

Hybrid aerial vehicle on test in Frankfurt's passenger terminals

H-Aero floats through the check-in halls surveying the airport 

The H-Aero is a small, helium-filled hybrid aerial vehicle and between October 28 and 31 it was on test in Frankfurt Airport.  Passengers were able to see it floating almost silently through Halls D and E in Terminal 2. Fraport AG joined forces with the start-up Hybrid-Airplane Technologies GmbH to carry out test flights assessing whether the aerial vehicle could be used to perform status checks in the terminals.

The H-Aero has approval to fly over people and combines the advantages of a balloon, aeroplane and helicopter in a single system. The hybrid aerial vehicle can perform a vertical take-off like a helicopter, for instance. It features a helium-filled, lens-shaped balloon that keeps it in the air as well as wings that can rotate 270° to steer it in all directions.

Security alert causes police to evacuate parts of Frankfurt Airport.

Federal police in Germany launched a major operation at Frankfurt Airport today, leading to parts of the airport being evacuated after a French family of four got passed a security check after testing positive for explosives.  A police spokesperson said one of them had not fully completed security checks and blamed an error by a security officer.

During the incident, the police stopped boarding and evacuated the security areas A and Z in terminal one, leading to many flight cancellations and disruptions, around 7000 Lufthansa passengers have been affected. The airline has said it has reserved 2000 hotel rooms for this evening as a precaution.