OREANDA-NEWS. Frankfurt Airport Reports Slight Increase in Passenger Volumes Despite Strike-Related Flight Cancellations - Strong Growth Recorded at Fraport's International Group Airports

In April 2014, Fraport AG welcomed more than 4.7 million passengers at its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) home base. This corresponds to a slight increase of 0.9 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. FRA's traffic statistics for the reporting period were influenced partly by opposing special and base-year effects. In April 2013, a strike by Lufthansa ground staff led to some 950 flight cancellations, affecting more than 100,000 passengers. In the first week of April 2014, a three-day walkout by the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots' union resulted in some 2,160 cancellations, affecting some 250,000 passengers.

Cargo volumes edged down by 1.2 percent to 171,909 metric tons in the reporting period. This was due to the strike-related reduction in shipping capacities as well as the shift of the Easter holidays from March to April in 2014, with cargo business slowing down during the holiday period. Aircraft movements decreased by 4.1 percent year-on-year, to 37,632 takeoffs and landings. Accumulated maximum takeoff weights (MTOW) also slightly contracted by 0.9 percent to just under 3 million metric tons.

The Fraport Group's portfolio of international airports posted a very positive performance. Almost 1.2 million passengers passed through Peru's Lima Airport (LIM) in April 2014 - an increase of 6.4 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. Fraport's two airports on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast - Burgas (BOJ) and Varna (VAR) - recorded a combined count of 59,328 passengers, up 25.4 percent.

Antalya Airport (AYT) on the Turkish Riviera welcomed about 1.7 million passengers in April 2014, up 12.6 percent. With 951,904 passengers, Pulkovo Airport (LED) in St. Petersburg (Russia) recorded an increase of 8.3 percent, while passenger volumes at Hanover Airport (HAJ) in Germany expanded by 3.3 percent to 435,205. A total of 2.4 million passengers used Xi'an Airport (XIY) in China in the reporting period. This corresponds to an increase of 11.7 percent year-on-year.