Over recent years, German airports have experienced a substantial decline in passenger flights. According to an analysis by the Federal Association of German Air Transport Economists (BDL), and reported by “Welt am Sonntag”, the number of annual flights at German airports has decreased by 300,000 compared to 2019, representing an 18 percent drop. Furthermore, the number of seats offered by airlines has fallen by 35 million.
Joachim Lang, managing director of the BDL, stated that regions across Germany are suffering a massive loss of connectivity, emphasizing that the link to European economic metropolises has worsened significantly in recent years. The BDL analysis reveals that 473 routes that were regularly served in 2019 have been permanently removed from airline schedules. During the same period, only 349 new destinations were added, and these are primarily focused on tourism. Lang suggests that for new growth to occur, there must be a halving of taxes and fees related to air transport in Germany.
Business representatives have echoed these concerns, demanding measures to improve air connectivity. Gregor Berghausen, managing director of the IHK Düsseldorf and head of the Industry and Commerce Chambers working group on air transport hubs, noted that many companies are facing economic hardships due to the deteriorating connection to international air travel. He stressed that this poor connectivity is becoming an increasing obstacle for many regions in terms of location attractiveness. Berghausen called on the federal government to significantly reduce the tax and fee burden to restore the competitiveness of German airports and the economic regions dependent on them.
