Passenger volume at Munich Airport shrinks by two thirds compared with 2019

After years of continuous traffic growth, the global spread of COVID-19 has caused passenger numbers at Munich Airport to drop substantially: passenger volume fell by around 15 million to just under 7.8 million in the first half of 2020 – a reduction of two thirds compared to the previous year’s level. The number of aircraft movements dropped from over 200,000 take-offs and landings to around 87,000 – a fall of 57%. The volume of air cargo carried was 87,000 metric tons and has therefore halved compared with the previous year’s figure.

In the second quarter of 2020, passenger traffic at Munich Airport almost came to a standstill owing to the global travel restrictions. The volume of passengers decreased by 98% compared with the previous year. The number of take-offs and landings fell by around 92% in this period. As a result, the airport recorded the lowest quarterly result since it opened in 1992. With a 78% fall, air cargo saw slightly less of a reduction in the second quarter. Special flights with cargo planes that transported medical supplies to Munich made an impact here.

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic are reflected in the traffic statistics for April and May in particular. During these months, the passenger figures amounted to only around one percent of those from the previous year. Since mid-June, when the travel restrictions within the EU were lifted, a slow upward trend is becoming apparent. Where only a few thousand passengers per week were counted in April, numbers were already rising above 100,000 in the first week of July. Now the Bavarian state capital is connected to more than 120 destinations around the world once again. In addition to 13 connections within Germany and numerous European destinations, travel to seven long-haul destinations in North America (Chicago, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Washington, Montreal and Toronto) and five long-haul destinations in Asia (Abu Dhabi, Delhi, Doha, Dubai and Seoul) are on offer. There are plans to add further destinations in the Far East in particular this summer.