Hamburg Airport 2023 Surge: 13.6M Passengers, Expanded Routes

Saturday, January 6, 2024

In 2023, Hamburg Airport saw a 22% rise in travelers to 13.6M, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, with a focus on leisure and expanded routes.

2023 marked a significant resurgence for Hamburg Airport’s aviation industry. Air travel interest experienced a notable upturn, with the airport welcoming roughly 13.6 million travelers, a 22% hike from the 11.1 million in 2022, the initial year free from COVID-19 constraints. A highlight was the 80% aircraft occupancy rate, surpassing the pre-pandemic figure of 77.8% in 2019. To meet this surge, airlines increased the size of planes on Hamburg routes, boosting seat availability. This upward trajectory is expected to continue into the next year.

Holiday travel’s popularity soared at Hamburg Airport in 2023. The year saw a 22% surge in travelers, mainly for leisure or visiting loved ones. Leisure travel dominated with nearly 80% of the market, while business travel constituted just over 20%.

This uptrend extended beyond the typical June-August travel window. Many from Northern Germany felt a strong travel urge throughout autumn, including school holidays, leading to October breaking records in passenger volume (1.45 million), weekly (342,000), and daily (56,500 on October 13) travelers. Despite this growth, numbers were still about 22% lower than the 17.3 million in 2019.

2023 witnessed about 120,300 aircraft movements at Hamburg Airport, up 9.8% from 2022 and below 2019’s 155,200. Airlines responded to demand by utilizing larger aircraft, increasing average seats per flight from 160 in 2022 to 163, slightly above 2019’s 159. The load factor also improved, with 80.1% of seats filled, a 4.6% increase from 2022. The average passengers per flight were 130, up from 121 in 2022.

Christian Kunsch, CEO of Hamburg Airport, commented on the efficiency of airlines in aligning with demand, resulting in better capacity utilization and sustainable air travel. This aligns with the airport’s climate goals.

Looking ahead to 2024, Hamburg Airport expects around 14.3 million passengers, a 5% increase from 2023. Kunsch expressed optimism, noting the steady recovery of holiday travel and the expansion of the airport’s route network to levels similar to 2019. The year concluded with the promising introduction of new European routes and a long-haul service to Doha, enhancing travel options for passengers.

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