2013-04-10 — /travelprnews.com/ — Hamburg Airport had a positive commercial finish for 2012. 13.7 million passengers used Hamburg Airport in the course of 2012, around one percent more than the previous year. The final result was a profit of 39.0 million euros; the previous year’s result was 49.2 million euros. Turnover for the year was 251.5 million euros (2011: 253.3 million euros).
“Despite the difficult market situation, Hamburg Airport proved itself in 2012. We increased passenger volume and generated a stable commercial result. Our passengers are clearly very satisfied with the comfort and service levels at Hamburg Airport, as is reflected in many awards,” said Michael Eggenschwiler, Chief Executive Officer of Hamburg Airport, at the Financial Results Press Conference. The 2012 result was influenced by three main factors: a weakening of traffic development, increased personnel costs due to a high public sector settlement, and high costs for infrastructure maintenance. The 2011 result was very high due to special balance items arising from the liquidation of reserves. Michael Eggenschwiler: “Hamburg Airport is well positioned. The cost consciousness and flexibility of our personnel are paying off. We believe in being dependable – for our employees as a dependable employer and for our customers as a dependable partner.”
Passenger figures 2012: 13.7 million passengers
In the century and more since it was founded, Hamburg Airport has never recorded as many passengers as in 2012: 13.7 million passengers passed through the gates last year. This is around 140,000 passengers – or 1.0 percent – more than in 2011. Despite the slight increase in passenger volume, the number of aircraft movements decreased by 3.3 percent to 152,890. The main reason for this is the deployment of larger aircraft. The seating capacity per flight rose from 134 to 137, and the maximum take-off weight per aircraft movement increased by 3.5 percent (comparing 2011 with 2012). The number of passengers per flight also increased by 4.0 percent to 100.4. On average, 37,500 passengers passed through Hamburg Airport each day in 2012, with a daily average of 419 aircraft movements (around 210 take-offs and 210 landings).
Air cargo developed in different directions. Flown air cargo grew by 2.1 percent, whilst truck transshipment declined by 8.9 percent. Total air cargo, excluding transit, was 64,439 tonnes, representing a decrease of 4.7 percent.
Route network: more variety and choice for passengers
From sunny holiday destinations to city breaks, the airlines at Hamburg Airport are expanding their offerings for northern Germany’s residents. The Spanish carrier Vueling is now flying to Florence and Málaga and has added more flights to Barcelona. And easyJet is becoming more and more active in Hamburg, adding Edinburgh and Rome to its network. Germanwings is returning to Hamburg with 10 new routes: Barcelona, Catania, Corfu, Faro, Heraklion, Istanbul, Kos, Olbia, Split and Venice. Germanwings is also taking over routes from its parent company, Lufthansa, servicing Bastia, Cologne/Bonn, Dubrovnik, Nice, Nuremberg, Palma de Mallorca, Stuttgart and Vienna. A new arrival at Hamburg Airport is bmi regional, with a non-stop service to Bristol. Intersky is now flying to Karlsruhe. Turkish Airlines, having won several awards for service, is expanding its offering of flights to Turkey, with the Hamburg-Istanbul route now operated four times every day for the first time. From June, the airline will also offer a daily late flight, alternatively to Istanbul, Ankara, Kayseri, Ankara, Izmir and Antalya. Czech Airlines is adding more flights to Prague, and Luxair is adding flights to its Saarbrücken/Luxembourg service.
Looking ahead to winter: TUI to fly non-stop to the Caribbean
Dreams come true – guaranteed: starting in the 2013/14 winter season, TUI will link Hamburg non-stop with the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Barbados. A Boeing 767-300 will fly from Hamburg to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and to Cancun on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, serving both of these destinations twice weekly. And Germany’s leading tour operator will also operate alternate non-stop weekly flights to Barbados and to La Romana in the Dominican Republic.
Outlook for 2013
Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO of Hamburg Airport, expects a challenging financial year for Hamburg Airport. “We are facing the difficult conditions imposed by the political and economic environment with a great deal of commitment and energy. The Aviation Tax is damaging Germany’s aviation industry, and the weak European economy is putting the brakes on development. But I am also seeing positive signals: the airlines are further expanding the variety in our route network. Variety means that passengers have a wide choice of routes, different airlines and fare and service concepts. Hamburg Airport will continue to make the passenger the focal point of its dealings in 2013. With more food & beverage facilities, more parking spaces, an expanded lounge and new baggage check-in machines, the comfort levels are being expanded even further to ensure that the journey is a pleasant one, from the trip to the airport to check-in and to boarding.”