Germany’s essential hub airport, Frankfurt, practically doubled year-on-year visitors in 2022 to 48.9 million passengers, however remained greater than 30 p.c under the 2019 document degree of 70.6 million.
Frankfurt operator Fraport stated the airport’s restoration final 12 months was helped by a “regular” restoration in enterprise journey in direction of the top of the 12 months.
Fraport CEO Stefan Schulte stated: “2022 was a really turbulent and difficult 12 months for your entire aviation business. After the lockdowns initially of the 12 months, the sudden robust improve in demand put quite a lot of stress on all course of companions who have been rushing up operations.
“Because of the complexity of the system, air visitors operations had a shaky restart at many airports, together with Frankfurt.
“Wanting forward, we’re assured to see additional progress in 2023. Individuals are wanting to journey and we’re working at full pace to make sure passengers have the absolute best airport expertise. Nonetheless, the state of affairs stays difficult.”
The efficiency of the German airport in 2022 was much like that of different main European hubs, equivalent to London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol, which have been 24% and 27% under, respectively, the variety of passengers in 2019. All three airports needed to impose passenger limits through the summer time of 2022 resulting from staffing shortages.
Fraport’s different operations world wide reported “dynamic progress” throughout 2022, notably in Greece, the place visitors at its 14 airports surpassed pre-Covid ranges for the primary time because the begin of the pandemic.
However, the second largest airport in London, Gatwick, registered an annual visitors of 32.eight million passengers in 2022, which was a rise in comparison with 6.three million vacationers in 2021, however 29% lower than in 2019.
The airport, which is a part of VINCI Airports, emphasised its restoration on long-haul routes with 42 locations now in service, together with new Air India flights and Delta’s return to Gatwick.
Jonathan Pollard, Gatwick’s industrial director, stated its 2022 visitors was “extraordinarily constructive” and illustrated the airport’s “continued robust restoration”.
“We nonetheless have some method to go, however we’re wanting ahead to welcoming extra passengers this 12 months, together with these flying to our rising alternative of long-haul locations,” added Pollard.
London’s third-largest airport, Stansted, served 23.three million passengers in 2022, up from simply 7.1 million vacationers through the earlier Covid-hit 12 months. For comparability, the airport had a visitors of 28 million passengers in 2019.
Gareth Powell, Stansted’s managing director, stated: “Stansted’s fast restoration by way of 2022 was nice information for everybody related with the airport, however my focus now could be to take care of and construct on that success and stay up for what we count on. be a fair busier 12 months. 12 months forward of us.”
Stansted has additionally been buoyed by Emirates’ choice to renew a second day by day service to Dubai from Could 1.