FRA TRAFFIC FIGURES: FRAPORT EXPECTS PASSENGER / FIGURES TO RISE IN THE COMING MONTHS

FRANKFURT/Main, Germany 14.10. 2003 (ots/PROTEXT) - FSE: FRA- Frankfurt Airport (FRA) welcomed about 4.7 million passengersin September 2003, one percent less than in the correspondingmonth last year. Air cargo traffic declined 2.6 percent to128,577 metric tons, while airmail fell 10.3 percent to 9,744metric tons. With a total of 39,652 take-offs and landings inthe reporting month, aircraft movements at FRA dropped by onepercent compared to September 2002. In contrast, maximum take-offweights (MTOWs) increased slightly by 0.1 percent to 2.2 millionmetric tons.

FRA recorded fewer passengers in September 2003 than in thecorresponding month of 2002, although Fraport is expecting growthin passenger figures over the next few months - because demandhas recovered from the slump following the 9/11 events, the Iraqwar, SARS, etc. As expected, the upward trend of the previousmonth (up 2.7 percent) caused by the summer school-break did notcontinue, particularly due to ongoing weak demand.

Nonetheless, the travel industry now reports noticeablygrowing bookings for the coming months. Therefore, Fraport isconfident that FRA's passenger figures for the full year 2003will fall a maximum of one percent short of the previous year'slevel. In the period from January to September 2003 passengerlevels were only 1.3 percent below the level of the same periodlast year.

Because of the weak economy, the strong euro, and theensuing effect on the German export industry, airfreight activityat FRA slipped in September 2003. Whereas cargo traffic to andfrom the Middle East increased noticeably, cargo tonnage on NorthAmerican routes declined. During the first nine months of theyear, Fraport recorded about 1.1 million metric tons of cargo atFRA, 1.8 percent more than in the same period last year.

Airmail tonnage handled at FRA reached 9,774 metric tons inSeptember 2003, 10.3 percent less than in September 2002, becauseof service reductions in Deutsche Post's domestic overnightairmail network.

Aircraft movements declined in September 2003, althoughshowing slight growth for the entire first nine-months of theyear. MTOWs also grew slightly. Because of lackluster businessactivity and reductions in Deutsche Post's domestic overnightairmail network FRA recorded fewer domestic flights, whilefrequencies increased on routes to the Middle East, the Far East,North America, and the Caribbean.

Frankfurt Airport's Traffic Figures for September 2003

September 2003

Change (2) Jan. - Sept.Change (2)

Sept. 03/

2003

Jan. -Sept.

Sept. 02

03/02Passengers 4,688,628

-1.0 %

36,493,641

-1.3 %Airfreight

128,577

-2.6 %

1,126,226

1.8 %in metric tonsAirmail in metric tons

9,774

-10.3 %91,776

-10.5 %Aircraft Movements (1) 39,652

-1.0 %

345,6130.4 %MTOWs (1) in metric tons

2,213,320

0.1 %19,089,146

2.3 %Punctuality share of punctual arrivals and departures inpercent

80.1

78.7 (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 69690 -78547/Fax: +49 69 690 -60548 E-Mail: r.payne@fraport.de /Internet: www.fraport.com

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