May 2003 - FRA traffic figures: Fewer passengers and more cargo * Stimulation of travel business recorded - sign of reverse trend in passenger traffic soon

FRANKFURT/MAIN (Germany) 11. 6. 2003 (PROTEXT/ots) - About3.9 million passengers traveled via Frankfurt Airport (FRA) inMay 2003, a 5.3 percent decline compared to the same month lastyear. Airfreight traffic at FRA grew by 2.9 percent to 124,611million metric tons. With 38,177 take-offs and landings, thenumber of aircraft movements decreased by 2.6 percent compared toMay 2002. This paralleled the development in maximum take-offweights (MTOWs), which dropped two percent to 2.1 million metrictons.

Fraport AG was unable to register a reverse trend inpassenger figures at Frankfurt Airport in May 2003. Following the5.2 percent decline in April 2003, the airport operator recordedsimilar development in May compared to the corresponding month in2002. The results of the Iraq war no longer had a decisive impacton consumer plans for air travel. Traffic to and from the MiddleEast increased once again by almost one fifth. But touristdestinations in southeastern Europe (e.g., Cyprus, Greece andTurkey) suffered from the lack of travel bookings, which occurredbefore and during the Iraq war. However, a slight recovery indemand has been observed since the end of the reporting month.This development has been confirmed by various tour operatorswho, on the basis of incoming bookings, are seeing a visiblestimulation of their holiday travel business.

Therefore, Fraport AG is carefully optimistic that FrankfurtAirport will soon be able to report growth in monthly passengerfigures again. May's recovery in demand was eclipsed by the SARSinfectious disease - traffic to the Far East was particularlyaffected by a drop of one fifth - as well as various strikes daysby airport workers in France, and by Germany's continuing weakeconomy. From January to May 2003, over 18.2 million passengersused Germany's biggest airport, a two percent drop compared tothe same period of 2002.

FRA achieved growth in airfreight tonnage. Despite the SARS-related crisis in the Far East, cargo volumes to this regionincreased by almost six percent. Similarly, Fraport AG recordedclear growth of almost one third on FRA's routes to the MiddleEast. Routes on the North Atlantic experienced a slight decreasein export cargo due to the influence of the strong euro. Clearlyless airfreight was transported on routes within Germany and toEastern Europe. In total, 624,000 metric tons of airfreight wereshipped via FRA during the first five months of 2003, about fivepercent more than in the same period last year. In addition,Fraport AG reported 9,715 metric tons of airmail at FRA, a 11percent decline compared to May 2002. This decline resulted froma reduction in services in the overnight domestic mail network(i.e., hub-and-spoke network for domestic first-class maildelivery) based at FRA.

Aircraft movements and MTOWs both declined in May 2003. Inparticular, aircraft movements declined because capacity offerswere adjusted to the reduced passenger demand following the SARSoutbreak. Also, strike-related flight cancellations to Franceimpacted traffic in May 2003. Because the booking situation isslowly recovering, Fraport AG hopes that airlines will soonrevive routes that were dropped or increase capacity on thoseroutes that were served less frequently.Frankfurt Airport's Traffic Figures for May 2003

May 2003 Change (2) Jan. - May Change (2)

May 03/

2003

Jan. - May

May 02 03/02Passengers 3,937,770 -5.3 %

18,216,531

-2.0 %Airfreightin metrictons

124,611 2.9 %

623,625

4.9 %Airmailin metrictons

9,715

-11.1 %

53,345

-7.7 %AircraftMovements (1) 38,177

-2.6 %

187,557

2.3 %MTOWs 1in metrictons

2,078,086

-2.0 %

10,286,990

4.7 %Punctualityshare of punctualarrivals anddepartures inpercent

83.4

77.2(1) Excluding military flights(2) Change over previous yearFor More Information, Please Contact:Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services WorldwideAttn: Robert A. Payne - Manager International Press 60547 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Tel.: +49 69.690.78547 / Fax: +49.69.690.60548E-mail: r.payne@fraport.deInternet: http://www.fraport.com

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