Frankfurt May Traffic

NEW historic peak figures characterised Frankfurt Airport’s traffic development in May 2008. The 4.7 million passenger mark, was exceeded for the first time in a May month. Airfreight throughput also exceeded the previous May record level of about 170,000 metric tons.

The number of passengers rose last month by 1.6 per cent to 4,742,024. This underscores the continuing traffic dynamics at FRA, even with last year’s high statistical base figures. Airfreight even achieved a 3.9 per cent surge in traffic to 176,369 metric tons. Despite a slight 0.6 per cent decline in aircraft movements to 42,517 takeoffs and landings, accumulated maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs) advanced by 1.9 per cent t 2,485,644 metric tons. Thus, FRA continued its trend towards bigger aircraft and a higher seat load fctor.

A total of 21,457,625 passengers used Frankfurt Airport from January to May 2008 – representing a 2.8 per cent year-on-year rise. Airfreight throughput grew in the same time period by 4.5 per cent to 870,160 metric tons, while airmail slipped slightly by 0.8 per cent to 37,484 metric tons. With 199,652 takeoffs and landings during the first five months of the year, aircraft movements reached the same level as in the previous year. MTOWs, since the beginning of 2008, climbed by 2.2 per cent to 11,614,063 metric tons.

With 208,199 metric tons (up 5.2 per cent) in May 2008, the group’s cargo figures also showed markedly positive development. In particular, tonnage at Frankfurt-Hahn airport rose by more than 28 per cent and at Lima Airport by 12 per cent. In the first five months of the year, cargo throughput increased by 6.9 per cent to more than one million metric tons.