For the first time, Leipzig/Halle Airport has been able to handle almost 450,000 tonnes of cargo and is thus the third largest logistics airport in Germany – Stable passenger numbers in Dresden – Passenger numbers down at Leipzig/Halle
Leipzig/Halle und Dresden Airports, both subsidiaries of Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding, enjoyed considerable growth in various sectors in 2008. A total of 96,892 takeoffs and landings (Leipzig/Halle 59,924; Dresden 36,968) were registered at the two airports in the past year. This corresponds to an increase of 11.2 percent compared with the previous- year period (Leipzig/Halle 17.6 percent; Dresden 2.3 percent).
With the DHL hub fully up and running at Leipzig/Halle Airport, DHL and Lufthansa Cargo operations largely contributed to this rise in cargo volume. This favourable development is also reflected by the volume of cargo transhipped by the companies of Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding, which increased by 335.3 percent (Leipzig/Halle 336.8 percent) to 442,750 tonnes (Leipzig/Halle 442,406 tonnes). This trend is expected to continue particularly due to the strategic partnership on which Lufthansa Cargo and Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding agreed at the end of 2008.
However, passenger volume in Central Germany was on the decline and fell by 5.6 percent to 4,322,620 in 2008. Leipzig/Halle Airport, where passenger numbers decreased by 9.6 percent to 2,462,256, particularly suffered the effects resulting from the night ban on passenger aircraft which is in place since March 2008 and from the continuing phase of consolidation in the airline and tourism industries.
In the same period, Dresden International Airport experienced a slight increase in passenger numbers, which rose by 0.3 percent to 1,860,364 – a new record high in the airport’s history.
Foto: Uwe Schoßig / Airport Leipzig/Halle
