April 2003 - FRA Traffic Figures: Iraq War and SARS Cause Traffic Slowdown

FRANKFURT (Germany) 14. 5. 2003 (PROTEXT/ots) - FrankfurtAirport (FRA) received more than 3.7 million passengers in April2003, a decline of about five percent compared to the same monthlast year. In contrast, airfreight increased further by onepercent to 121,724 metric tons. Some 37,406 take-offs andlandings were registered, 0.5 percent more than in April 2002.Maximum take-off weights (MTOWs) climbed by 3.8 percent to about2.1 million metric tons in the reporting month.

Despite the negative influences on world aviation, passengertraffic developed more positively at FRA than expected: Only 5.2percent fewer passengers were recorded in April 2003 than in thesame month last year, whereas passenger figures collapsed by 25percent in the first month of the 1991 Gulf war.

Because of the 2003 Iraq war, destinations in North Africaand Turkey especially suffered a decline in traffic. Incontrast, destinations in the western Mediterranean experiencednoticeable growth because tour operators reacted flexibly to themarket by allowing passengers to rebook their trips free ofcharge. Far East traffic experienced an unusual double-digitcollapse in passenger traffic due to the SARS (Severe AcuteRespiratory Syndrome) infectious disease. In particular, anabove average number of travelers avoided China, Hong Kong,Singapore and Taiwan.

FRA's airfreight volume grew by one percent to 121,724 metrictons in April 2003. Domestic cargo recorded a double-digitdecline in April, while airfreight shipments to Asia registereda noticeable 6.1 percent increase. Another growth factor was the9.2 percent increase in cargo transported to France and Spain.Airmail tonnage at FRA dropped 14.9 percent to 9,692 metric tonsin April.

Frankfurt Airport's Traffic Figures for April 2003

April 2003 Change 2 Jan. - Apr. Change 2

Apr. 03/ 2003

Jan. - Apr.

Apr. 02

03/02

Passengers 3,711,023 -5.2 %

14,278,761

-1.1 %

Airfreight 121,724 1.0 %

499,014

5.4 % in metric tons

Airmail

9,692 -14.9 %

43,630

-6.9 % in metric tons

Aircraft

37,406 0.5 %

149,380

3.6 % Movements 1

MTOWs 1 2,069,737 3.8 %

8,208,904

6.6 % in metric tons

Punc-

80.2

75.6 tuality share of punctual arrivals and departures in percent

1 Excluding military flights 2 Change over previous year ots Original Text Service: Fraport AG Internet:http://www.presseportal.de For More Information, Please Contact: Fraport AG FrankfurtAirport Services Worldwide Attn: Robert A. Payne - ManagerInternational Press 60547 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Tel.: +49 69.690.78547 Fax: +49.69.690.60548 E-mail:r.payne@fraport.de Internet: www.fraport.com

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