Fraport Traffic Figures - March 2004: New Record Month at FRA: 154,248 Metric Tons of Airfreight - 9.1 Percent More Passengers

15.04.2004, 08:32

Frankfurt/Main, Germany (PROTEXT/ots) -

First Quarter 2004 Passenger and Cargo Figures at RecordLevel

Traffic at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) again experienced aboveaverage growth during the month of March 2004. FRA (FSE: FRA)welcomed more than 4.1 million passengers in the reportingmonth, 9.1 percent more than in March 2003. In particular,Frankfurt Airport recorded above average growth rates for trafficto and from the Middle East, North Africa, North America and theFar East. Showing double-figure growth rates, Eastern Europetraffic continued to be marked by the positive spirit caused bythe upcoming EU expansion. This even benefited some neighboringcountries who are not joining the EU, such as Bulgaria, Rumaniaand Russia. In the first quarter of 2004, FRA servedapproximately 11.3 million passengers or 6.8 percent more thanin the same period last year.

Cargo volume at FRA reached a new historic high in March2004. Never before in Frankfurt Airport's history was morecargo handled in a single month: a total of 154,248 metric tons(7.3 percent more than in the same month last year). The majorgrowth factor was the increase in cargo tonnage onintercontinental routes. In particular, the Middle East, LatinAmerica, and Africa boomed with double-digit growth rates. Forthe January-to-March 2004 three-month period, FRA's airfreightvolume climbed 7.8 percent to 406,570 metric tons.

Passenger and cargo volumes in the first quarter of 2004exceeded the record levels of the first quarter in 2001. At thattime, about 11 million passengers and almost 381,000 metric tonsof cargo were registered. Airmail tonnage continued to declinein the reporting month - mainly due to the continuing impact ofservice reductions in the domestic overnight hub-and-spokeairmail network at FRA. This represented a decline of 10,712metric tons, or 6.9 percent, from March 2003. Frankfurt Airportregistered 39,240 takeoffs and landings in March 2004, nearlythe same number as in March 2003. Maximum takeoff weights(MTOWs) rose by two percent to more than 2.2 million metric tons.

The current development proves that the impact of criticalevents on world traffic are always offset and evenovercompensated after a relatively short period. In the firsttwo weeks of April 2004, FRA's passenger and cargo trafficcontinued to increase at high rates. Therefore, we can expectsustained recovery and noticeable growth of international airtraffic at FRA - provided there will be no new terroristattacks, further wars will be avoided, and the world economywill see sustained recovery and stabilization.

The six airports of the Fraport Group together registeredabout 5.6 million passengers in the reporting month, 12.6percent more than in March 2003. With about 215,000 passengers,Frankfurt Hahn Airport (HHN) registered a 19.9 percent increasein passenger traffic. With about 404,000 passengers, AntalyaAirport (AYT) achieved 53.9 percent growth compared to the sameperiod last year. Traffic at Hanover Airport (HAJ) increased by13.8 percent to about 454,000 passengers and at Lima Airport(LIM) by 15 percent to about 421,000 passengers. Cargothroughput for the Fraport Group amounted to over 192,000 metrictons, 8.7 percent more than in the same month last year. TheFraport Group's airports registered a total of 59,755 takeoffsand landings, 1.1 percent more than in the same month last year.

In the first quarter of 2004, some 15.2 million passengersused the Fraport Group's airports, 9.8 percent more than in thecorresponding quarter of 2003. In addition, about 514,000metric tons of cargo (up 8.1 percent) were handled and 166,205takeoffs and landings (up 1.1 percent) registered during theJanuary-to-March 2004 period.

ANR 26/2004 - Frankfurt Airport's Traffic Figures - March2004

March 2004 Change (2) Jan. - Mar. Change 2

Mar. 04/

2004

Jan. -Mar.

Mar. 03

04/03 Passengers (1) 4,107,577

9.1 %

11,286,143 6.8 % Airfreight (1) in metric tons 154,248

7.3 %

406,570 7.8 % Airmail in metric tons

10,712 -6.9 %

31,495 -7.2 % Aircraft Movements (3)

39,240

0.0 %

112,156 0.2 % MTOWs (3) in metric tons 2,202,757

2.0 %

6,256,295 1.9 % Punctuality share of punctual arrivals and departures in percent

76.4

74.0 (1) Total traffic (arrivals + departures + transit, incl.general aviation) (2) Change over previous year (3) Excluding military flights

ANR 16/2004 - Fraport Group - Traffic Figures for March 2004

Airports

Passengers(1) Change AirfreightChange

absolute

in %

in metric tons

in %

(incl. Airmail) Frankfurt 4,106,867

9.1

162,216

6.0 Antalya(2)

403,687

53.9

n.a.n.a. Hahn(3)

214,796

19.9

17,344

28.2 Hanover

454,095

13.8

1,388

13.9 Lima

420,954

15.0

11,046

24.8 Saarbrücken

28,498

9.3

2

-83.3 Fraport Group 5,628,897

12.6

191,996

8.7 Airports

Aircraft Movements

Change

absolute

in % Frankfurt

39,240

0.0 Antalya(2)

2,529

28.9 Hahn (3)

2,782

9.3 Hanover

7,539

-8.2 Lima

6,458

10.6 Saarbrücken

1,207

-7.7 Fraport Group 59,755

1.1 (1) Passengers (commercial traffic: arrivals + departures +transit) (2) International passengers and movements only (3) Hahn cargo (incl. cargo transported by truck)

ots Original Text Service: Fraport AG Frankfurt AirportServices Worldwide Internet: http://www.presseportal.de

For More Information, Please Contact: Fraport AG FrankfurtAirport Services Worldwide Robert A. Payne - ManagerInternational Press & PR 60547 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Tel.:+49 69.690.78547; Fax: +49.69.690.60548; E-mail:r.payne@fraport.de; Internet: www.fraport.de

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