Coronavirus impact: fewer passengers at central German airports but more cargo at LEJ

Because of the coronavirus pandemic in the first six months of this year, passenger numbers at the two central European airports, Dresden and Leipzig/Halle, were substantially below last year’s levels.

A total of 573,326 passengers used the two airports between January and June, 69.1 percent fewer than in the same period in 2019. Passenger traffic at the two central German airports came to a complete standstill several times in the period from April to June, with a year-on-year decline of 98.7 percent in June. In contrast, cargo volumes at Leipzig/Halle Airport increased by 4 percent in the first six months of the year, underlining the key role it is playing in providing the population with essential supplies in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Leipzig/Halle Airport

Leipzig/Halle Airport recorded 333,340 passengers during the first six months of the year, 70.7 percent fewer than in the previous year. The decline in June was 99.4 percent, with 1,531 passengers. With 31,188 take-offs and landings, the number of aircraft movements at Leipzig/Halle Airport fell by 19.3 percent.

Dresden Airport

Passenger traffic at Dresden Airport saw a year-on-year decline of 66.6 percent between January and June, with a total of 239,986 passengers. The airport recorded 4,027 passengers in June, 97.4 percent fewer than in the same period last year. With 7,188 take-offs and landings, the number of aircraft movements was 48.7 percent below last year’s level.

Continued strong growth in air cargo traffic at LEJ

Bucking the downward national trend, cargo volumes at Leipzig/Halle, Europe’s fifth-largest cargo hub, continue to grow steadily. Cargo volumes increased by 4 percent to 633,856 tonnes in the first half of the year. In June, cargo handling at Leipzig/Halle Airport grew by 16.1 percent to 114,367 tonnes compared with the same month last year.

With this positive development, the airport is securing central Germany’s vital logistics and supply chains for the population and the economy. Two factors are driving this growth: DHL’s express cargo business on the one hand, and the positive developments in the cargo and special charter segments, including rescue and supply flights, on the other. In the first six months of the year, there were 1,000 take-offs and landings in the cargo segment per week at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

 

CONTACT DETAILS

Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG
Corporate Communications

Phone: +49 (0) 341 224-1159

Fax: +49 (0) 341 224-1161

Mail: kommunikation(at)mdf-ag(dot)com

 

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