July 9, 2024
Press: Air traffic at Munich airport is on the rise
More than 19 million passengers in the first half of the year - flights at record load factor
- Increase in passenger volume of around 15 percent
- Aircraft movements up by 10 percent
- Passenger volume at just under 85 percent compared to 2019
The continued high demand for air travel at Munich Airport is reflected in the air traffic results for the first half of 2024: There were more than 19 million passengers from January 1 to June 30 – an increase of 14.8 percent compared to the same period last year. This means that Munich Airport achieved almost 85 percent of the passenger volume of the record year 2019 in the first half of 2024. The average load factor for aircraft in Munich has never been higher: With a value of 80 percent, Munich Airport has set a record here.
Intercontinental air traffic grew particularly strongly, with passenger growth of almost 19 percent. As with the high demand for flights to destinations in the USA, travel to destinations in the Far East has now also reached the level of the first half of 2019, with just under 1.2 million passengers in the first six months of this year.
The upward trend is also reflected in the increase in aircraft movements: Over 156,000 take-offs and landings were recorded in the first half of 2024. This represents an increase of over ten percent year-on-year. Compared to 2019, the number of flights has increased by an impressive 76 percent. Bavaria's aviation hub is now offering flights to around 160 destinations worldwide again – including 47 intercontinental destinations.
The positive trend is set to continue over the course of the year, as further new long-haul destinations have already been announced. Airlines operating long-haul flights from Munich are making increasing use of the most modern long-haul aircraft currently available, the Airbus A350-900. While 140 departures per week are scheduled for this type of aircraft in the summer, the number will rise to 170 in the fall.
Cargo business at the airport is also benefiting from the increase in air traffic in Munich: Now totaling around 147,000 tonnes, the volume has risen by eleven percent compared to the same period last year.
