Frankfurt Airport Ranked as Europe's Most Punctual Hub Airport by the Association of European Airlines

FFANKUFRT/MAIN, Germany (PROTEXT/ots) - Frankfurt Airport(airport code = FRA) ranked as Europe's most punctual hub airportin 2000, according to the Association of European Airlines' (AEA)recently issued annual statistical report that compares flightdelays at 27 European airports. Only about 20 percent of FRA'sdeparting flights were delayed in 2000, versus about one third in1999. According to international regulations, a flight isconsidered delayed, when the actual arrival or departure timedeviates by more than 15 minutes from the original scheduledtime. Thus, FRA earned the top punctuality ranking among largeEuropean hub airports in 2000. With a 25-percent punctualityrating last year, London Heathrow Airport slipped from itsprevious first-place position in 1999. The Brussels-based AEArated Milan Malpensa and Madrid airports at the bottom of thepunctuality chart, with more than 36 percent of their flightsdelayed in 2000. For more details about the AEA punctuality study, visit theAssociation of European Airlines web site at:"http://www.aea.be". - Punctuality Achieved Even With Strong Traffic Growth: Thepunctuality results are satisfying for Fraport (Frankfurt AirportServices Worldwide), the company that owns and managescontinental Europe's busiest airport for cargo and passengertraffic. This top punctuality ranking was achieved during a yearof robust traffic growth at FRA. In 2000, Frankfurt Airport'stotal passenger traffic jumped 7.6 percent over 1999 to 49.4million, while airfreight climbed 11.3 percent to almost 1.6million metric tons, and aircraft movements rose 4.5 percent toalmost 460,000 take-offs and landings. - New Hub Control Center Opened at FRA in 2000: A newLufthansa Hub Control Center (HCC), which opened at Terminal 1 inthe last quarter of 2000, will help Frankfurt Airport maintainits enviable operational efficiency. The HCC brings togetherairport, airline and air traffic control (ATC) operations stafffrom DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung, Fraport and Lufthansa. The HCChandles the majority of flights at FRA: i.e., flights ofLufthansa, the Star Alliance as well as other airlines handled byLufthansa. For More Information, Please Contact: Fraport AGAttn: Robert A. Payne - Manager International Press 60547Frankfurt am Main, Germany Tel.: +49 69 690 -78547 (with voicemailbox) Fax: +49 69 690 -60548 or -59632 E-Mail:r.payne@fraport.de Internet: www.frankfurt-airport.com (clickon "Press Center")

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