Munich Airport Reports Record Growth

In the first nine months of the year, Munich Airport set yet another record for total passengers, at 31.3 million – a gain of about 4% over the same period in 2014.

The number of take-offs and landings also increased by more than 3,000 (1.1%) to nearly 288,000.

In the third quarter, the Bavarian hub posted several all-time highs: the nearly 12 million passengers using the airport between July and September represent a new record for a calendar quarter in Munich. August also set a new single-month traffic record for Munich of just under 4 million passengers. And Friday, 25 September 2015 entered the record books as the busiest day in the airport's history, with 147,802 passengers.

Growth in passenger numbers at Munich Airport is fuelled above all by strong gains in international traffic. On European routes, 19.1 million travelers took advantage of the extensive range of destinations offered: a 3.9% increase over the previous year. The intercontinental segment posted somewhat stronger gains, at 4.1%, to nearly 4.9 million, and traffic on domestic routes increased by 3.2% to 7.2 million.

Growth in the cargo segment was even more robust. In the first nine months of the year, the cargo turnover totaled about 236,000 tons. This represents a 10% gain over Jan.–Sept. 2014 and marks a new record. A major factor behind the strong gains is the increased use of cargo aircraft at Munich Airport. As a result, the share of the total tonnage carried on "freight-only" rose by nearly one third to approximately 41,000 tons. Meanwhile, co-loaded freight transported on passenger flights increased by about 6% to 195,000 tons.

In view of the strong traffic growth in the first three quarters, Munich Airport also expects to set a new full-year record for cargo as well as an all-time high of more than 41 million for total passengers. Based on the figures provided by the airlines to date, the current growth trend will gather momentum in the coming year. This will mean that in 2016, the airport will once again substantially add to its all-time highs for total passengers as well as the number of aircraft movements.