Fraport Group Records Excellent Results in Difficult Times / All Traffic Segments Grew in 2002
Frankfurt (ots) - Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide recorded
noticeable increases in all major traffic segments - passengers, cargo
(airfreight), and aircraft movements - during the 2002 business year. The six
airports of the Fraport Group include the home base of Frankfurt/Main (Germany),
as well as the airports of Antalya (Turkey), Frankfurt-Hahn (Germany), Hanover-
Langenhagen (Germany), Lima (Peru) and Saarbrücken (Germany). Over 69.2 million
passengers - 2.5 percent more than in the previous year - used the Group's
airports in 2002. Airfreight traffic at the Group's airports also developed
positively: about 1.9 million metric tons were handled, a noticeable 2.6 percent
increase over 2001. With 717,665 take-offs and landings, the aircraft movements
segment also grew by 1.1 percent in comparison to 2001.
For Fraport AG`s executive board chairman, Dr. Wilhelm Bender, these figures
clearly show that national and international aviation is growing again following
the effects of 9/11 and the weak worldwide economy. "I am confident that we will
soon be returning to the steady growth of previous years," said Bender. "Of
course, this is based on the hope that no new terrorists attacks will occur,
that military conflicts will be avoided, and that the world economy will develop
ongoing improvement and stability."
Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is the Fraport Group's most important location,
accounting for over 70 percent of passenger traffic in 2002. Compared to other
airports in Germany, FRA achieved one of the best performances in 2002 - with
about 48.5 million passengers and only a slight 0.2 percent decline. This proves
that FRA is benefiting from the airlines' policy of concentrating traffic during
difficult times at so-called hub airports. Thus, FRA registered noticeably
better traffic figures than other German airports, which experienced above
average decreases and a shift in traffic to FRA hub.
Other growth engines in 2002 were Frankfurt-Hahn, Antalya and Lima airports.
Frankfurt-Hahn profited from the explosive growth in services offered by low-
cost carriers, a developing trend in the aviation industry. Over 1.4 million
passengers used this airport located in the Hunsrück region west of Frankfurt -
representing a growth of 228 percent or a threefold increase over the previous
year. Fraport AG owns 73.07 percent of Frankfurt-Hahn Airport. Antalya Airport
also recorded impressive growth in passenger figures. Fraport AG has a 50-
percent share in the management of Antalya's international passenger terminal.
Antalya welcomed about 9.8 million international passengers in 2002, a 12.3
percent jump over the previous year. As a result, Antalya has overtaken Istanbul
as Turkey's busiest airport. Antalya's international passenger terminal already
ranked among the top 100 airports worldwide as a result of high passenger growth
during the years 1999 to 2001, when passenger figures double to 8.7 million.
Peru's Lima Airport - growing by 4.2 percent to 4.3 million passengers - was
less affected by the industry's crisis than many European airports. Saarbrücken
Airport, in which Fraport has a 51 percent share, recorded 461,299 passengers
and a 3.9 percent decline in 2002. Among the Group's airports, Hanover-
Langenhagen Airport - 20 percent owned by Fraport - had the least attractive
prerequisites for dealing with the affects of 9/11. This is because holiday
carriers account for a high proportion of its total passenger traffic. About 4.8
million passengers used Hanover-Langenhagen Airport, 7.9 percent less than in
2001.
In the airfreight segment, Frankfurt Airport accounted for 84.9 percent of
the Group's total tonnage in 2002. FRA handled over 1.6 million metric tons or
1.1 percent more airfreight than in 2001. Lima Airport's cargo volume climbed
26.1 percent to about 136,694 metric tons. In 2001, Frankfurt-Hahn Airport
suffered a loss in airfreight traffic due to Malaysian Airlines moving its
activities. However, in 2002 Frankfurt-Hahn again saw cargo grow by three
percent to 139,332 metric tons.
The aircraft movements segment was affected by airlines adjusting their
capacities via changes to route networks and the size of aircraft deployed. FRA
recorded 458,359 take-offs and landings in 2002, 0.4 percent more than in the
previous year. With 62,459 take-offs and landings, Antalya recorded 16.9 percent
growth in aircraft movements. Noticeably more aircraft, namely 25,716 (12.4
percent increase), took off and landed at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport in 2002.
"We can be very satisfied with these results; our Group airports performed
exceeding well in 2002," said Bender. "It shouldn't be taken for granted that
the total results for all traffic segments register noticeable growth rates.
This shows just how well the Fraport Group has been able to cope in difficult
times and in a crisis-prone environment."
Fraport Group - Actual Traffic Figures 2002
Airports Passengers1 Change Cargo Change Movements Change
abs. in % (metric in % abs. in %
tons)
abs.
Frankfurt 48,450,357 -0.2 1,631,489 1.1 458,359 0.4
Antalya4 9,790,636 12.3 n.a. n.a. 62,459 16.9
Hahn3 1,449,725 228.0 139,332 3.0 25,716 12.4
Hanover 4,751,909 -7.9 13,122 -8.3 85,640 -4.7
Lima 4,298,628 4.2 136,694 26.1 70,327 -2.5
Saar
Bruecken 461,299 -3.9 166 12.2 15,164 1.5
Fraport
Group 69,202,554 2.5 1,920,803 2.6 717,665 1.1
Source: ACI statistics
1 Passengers (commercial traffic: arrivals + departures + transit)
2 Lima Airport Partners statistics
3 Hahn Cargo (incl. cargo transported by truck)
4 International passengers and movements