Munich Airport celebrated 25 years of operations at its new location. At annual press conference, in the lead-up to the big anniversary, the airport operating company (FMG) was able to report that Munich Airport is in excellent shape: Group sales were up by around 9 percent in 2016 to approximately EUR 1.4 billion, and EBITDA reached a record level of EUR 530 million. The net profit of EUR 150 million also represents a new all-time high.
In 2016 a total of 42.3 million passengers used Munich Airport as a starting point or destination for their journeys or to catch connecting flights. That was an increase of 1.3 million passengers, or 3 percent, over the 2015 result, making 2016 the seventh consecutive record year for passenger traffic. The number of take-offs and landings increased by 4 percent to over 394,000. The strongest gains were again seen in the airfreight segment, where the total amount of cargo handled rose by more than 5 percent to 334,000 tons.
The increasing passenger demand partly reflects increases in the route network served from Munich, which gained 10 new destinations in the medium and longhaul segments in 2016. This brought the number of destinations served by direct flights from Munich Airport to 257 cities in 73 different countries. With about 6.8 million passengers – an increase of 5 percent – the intercontinental segment again posted the strongest gains. Continental traffic, with a total of 25.8 million passengers in 2016, remained the strongest segment at Munich Airport. This was a 4 percent increase over 2015. The number of airlines offering scheduled services in Munich increased by three to 100 in 2016.
In the view of Dr. Michael Kerkloh, the President and CEO of Munich Airport, the most important indicator is the decision by Lufthansa to station the first 15 aircraft to be delivered in its order for 25 Airbus A350 widebody jets in Munich. These advanced, highly economical and very quiet planes open up outstanding prospects for Munich Airport in the intercontinental segment.
Kerkloh believes that the Bavarian hub is very well positioned to face the challenges of the future: “Just a few weeks before the 25th anniversary of the airport’s opening, Bavaria’s gateway to the world is in excellent shape as it embarks on the next quarter century. Provided we can expand Munich Airport’s capacity in the coming years to keep pace with demand, this airport can definitely keep adding new chapters to its success story.”
