Hamburg is an important aviation location - not only as a centre for Airbus and Lufthansa Technik as well as a home to numerous suppliers but also in terms of commercial air traffic. A recent market report by Hamburg Aviation member Cirium takes a closer look at the latest trends at Hamburg Airport - with exciting insights into traffic development, efficiency, target markets and fleet structure.
Recovery in passenger numbers
After the pandemic-related dip, traffic volumes are approaching pre-crisis levels again: in 2024, the airport recorded around 54,600 departures - around 80 % of the 2019 figures. There is a clear trend towards longer flight routes and larger aircraft. The average flight distance rose from 1,026 to 1,233 kilometres, while the average number of seats per flight increased from 169 to 173. This development indicates a stronger bundling of capacities.
At the same time, improvements were achieved in the environmental footprint: CO₂ emissions per available seat kilometre (ASK) have fallen by around 8.7% since 2019. The development of destinations shows marked underlying change: While domestic German connections such as Düsseldorf, Stuttgart and Munich are declining significantly - not least due to the growing attractiveness of rail travel - European destinations such as Barcelona, Milan, Istanbul and Rome are gaining in importance. The connection to Gdańsk also recorded a strong increase.
New aircraft, new routes?
New long-haul connections could be made possible in particular through the use of modern single-aisle aircraft such as the Airbus A321XLR. This model is produced in Hamburg-Finkenwerder and, with a range of over 8,000 kilometres, is ideally suited to economically connecting smaller markets directly with one another - without having to change planes, with lower operating costs and a better carbon footprint. Fleet modernisation overall is also progressing: The average age of the aircraft in use is currently around eleven years - with an increasing proportion of modern types such as the A320neo, A220 and Boeing 737 MAX 8.
Cirium's market report shows: Hamburg is not only a production location for modern commercial aircraft - the city also offers great potential as a departure point for an efficient, more climate-friendly and more internationally networked aviation future.
More information
Read the new analysis here.