Frankfurt Airport welcomed 61.6 million passengers in 2024, showing a 3.7% increase from the previous year. Popular travel trends included strong demand for medium-haul flights to Mediterranean destinations like Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
Long-haul routes to North America maintained their popularity, while connections to the Far East and South America experienced significant growth.
This diversification of routes demonstrates the airport’s resilience and ability to adapt to changing travel patterns.
Frankfurt Airport: Leading Hub for Connectivity
Frankfurt Airport maintained its position as the world’s leading hub for connectivity in 2024, with 99 airlines connecting passengers to 311 destinations across 98 countries.
This extensive network reinforces Frankfurt’s status as a crucial international aviation hub, facilitating global business and leisure travel.
Despite this comprehensive coverage, passenger numbers remained 12.7% below 2019’s pre-pandemic levels, indicating the ongoing recovery process in international aviation.

Concerns Over Rising Costs
Fraport CEO Dr. Stefan Schulte highlighted the airport’s crucial role in Germany’s economy but expressed concerns about rising costs.
“While Frankfurt Airport provides vital connectivity for Germany’s economy, increasing government-imposed fees threaten this advantage,” Schulte explained.
“Airlines are choosing locations with lower fees, impacting Frankfurt’s growth while our international airports perform notably better.” This competitive challenge underscores the delicate balance between maintaining operational excellence and managing cost pressures.

Cargo Operations Show Improvement
Frankfurt Airport cargo operations showed positive development, with combined airfreight and airmail volumes reaching 2.1 million metric tons, a 6.2% increase from 2023.
This growth in cargo handling demonstrates Frankfurt’s importance in global supply chains. Aircraft movements rose by 2.4% to 440,853 takeoffs and landings, while maximum takeoff weights increased by 2.8% to 27.8 million metric tons, indicating a trend toward larger aircraft operations.
December 2024 saw slight decreases across operations, with passenger numbers falling 1.1% to 4.5 million travelers and cargo volumes declining 1.2% to 169,135 metric tons. Aircraft movements decreased marginally by 0.7%, reflecting typical seasonal variations in air traffic.

International Growth Across Fraport Network
Beyond Frankfurt Airport, Fraport’s global airport network also demonstrated strong performance in 2024, with several locations achieving remarkable growth.
Notable achievements included Ljubljana Airport serving 1.4 million passengers, marking a 13.3% increase, and Lima Airport setting a new record with 24.5 million passengers, up 15.2%.
The Greek regional airports reached an all-time high of 36 million passengers, growing by 6.4%, while Antalya Airport processed 38 million travelers, showing a 6.5% increase.
However, some locations faced significant challenges. Brazil’s Fortaleza and Porto Alegre airports experienced a 27.1% decrease in traffic, primarily due to extensive flooding that forced operational shutdowns.
The airports serving Bulgaria’s coastal towns of Burgas and Varna saw an 8.7% decline in traffic, reflecting regional market conditions and competition.
Summary
Despite these mixed results, the overall performance of Fraport Group’s airport network remained positive. Total passenger count across all managed airports reached 174.5 million in 2024, representing a 3.7% increase from 2023.
December figures remained stable at 9.6 million passengers, showing only a slight 0.2% decrease from the previous year.
These results highlight the aviation industry’s ongoing recovery and adaptation to post-pandemic market conditions. They also highlight the importance of maintaining competitive advantages in an increasingly challenging global market environment.