Hamburg Airport: “I am optimistic that things will go better this summer than in 2023” | EUROtoday

As of: 4:35 p.m | Reading time: 4 minutes

SHamburg Airport is recovering from the results of the pandemic sooner than anticipated. After three years of losses, Hamburg Airport generated a revenue of 6.6 million euros in 2023. This was reported on Wednesday by the brand new airport boss Christan Kunsch, who has been in workplace for the reason that starting of the 12 months, and Berit Schmitz, who has been a member of the airport's administration since April 1st. Kunsch has been working within the airport's administration since 2019; he succeeded Michael Eggenschwiler within the administration place in January.

Hamburg Airport initially anticipated an annual lack of 9.7 million euros for 2023. The undeniable fact that the underside line is finally a revenue additionally has to do with value self-discipline and the financial savings program of the previous few years, stated Kunsch. From 2020 to 2022, Hamburg Airport made a complete lack of 186 million euros, and in 2020 there was funding from the federal and state governments of Hamburg amounting to 48 million euros, which curbed the loss within the first 12 months of the pandemic. Hamburg Airport is owned 51 p.c by Hamburg and 49 p.c by AviAlliance.

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Last 12 months, 13.6 million individuals flew to and from Hamburg, and Hamburg Airport is anticipating 14.3 million passengers this 12 months. For comparability: in 2019, the final 12 months earlier than the pandemic, the airport in Fuhlsbüttel had 17.3 million passengers.

“The passengers are back,” stated Kunsch – however not equally in all segments. The variety of non-public vacationers – be it on scheduled or constitution flights – has returned to pre-pandemic ranges. The airport is at present solely seeing round 50 p.c of the earlier quantity of enterprise vacationers, particularly on routes inside Germany. It will most likely take just a few years earlier than this a part of the enterprise recovers, stated the airport boss.

In addition to the air hubs of Frankfurt and Munich, Hamburg's airport is exhibiting the quickest restoration in Germany, with development in passenger numbers of greater than 20 p.c final 12 months, stated Kunsch. “We achieved the turnaround faster than expected. This gives us more room to invest further in our terminal facilities and service offerings.”

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A package deal of round 80 measures is meant to enhance service at Hamburg Airport and modernize the infrastructure. Hamburg Airport desires to speculate greater than 50 million euros this 12 months. The measures embody the acquisition of further, state-of-the-art CT scanners at safety checkpoints. To date, six of 18 management lanes are geared up with these most fashionable gadgets obtainable. They wished to rapidly equip the opposite twelve tracks with it. Because the federal authorities accountable for safety checks is financially tight, they’re discussing the opportunity of co-financing by Hamburg Airport, stated Kunsch. The risk of reserving particular person instances at safety checkpoints by way of the Internet is to be expanded from May or June from the present 200 so-called slots per hour to 300 per hour.

Improved passenger management, extra water dispensers for vacationers, new bathroom services, more cash for cleansing the airport, redesigned seating areas and play areas for youngsters, new escalators and elevators and rather more, stated Kunsch and Schmitz, ought to give passengers “the experience of flying “make it more pleasant. A total of around 1,740 people currently work at Hamburg Airport. Schmitz said that 50 additional specialists will be employed in baggage handling this year alone. However, there is still a lack of skilled workers in many trades, from security checks to cleaning services.

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Waiting times for hours at security checkpoints and baggage from international flights stranded in Hamburg were the main annoyances for air travelers in the Hanseatic city in recent years during and after the pandemic. Hamburg Airport wants to permanently overcome these bottlenecks with a variety of measures such as increasing automation of processes – especially for the upcoming summer travel season. “I am optimistic that the summer of this year will go better than the summer of 2023,” stated Kunsch, “even if it doesn’t go 100 percent well yet.”