Vienna Airport Soars: A Remarkable Recovery and Vision for the Future in 2023
Flughafen Wien AG, the company that manages the Vienna International Airport, celebrates an impressive recovery in the first half of 2023 with significant growth in passenger numbers, revenue, and profit for the period. With an increase in passenger numbers of 44.3%, the Vienna location reached 91% of the passenger level before the Corona crisis in 2019. In the entire Group, the figure is even 94%.
The comeback of the aviation industry has already become apparent with positive results at Flughafen Wien AG. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Stanislav Doronenko / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
In concrete figures, this means a total of 13,327,604 passengers for Vienna Airport from January to June 2023. This remarkable increase was already foreseeable in the first quarter of the year and continued consistently in the second quarter. By June, traffic had already reached an impressive 95% of the June 2019 level.
A clear upward trend is evident not only in Vienna but also in FWAG's foreign holdings. Malta Airport, for example, recorded an increase of 46.4%, corresponding to 3,434,470 travelers. Košice Airport recorded an increase of 29.5% with a total of 246,119 passengers.
The airport's finances are also positive: In the first half of 2023, the Airport Vienna Group's revenue amounted to €428.1 million, an increase of 45.3% year-on-year. Profit for the period climbed to an impressive € 82.7 million.
Günther Ofner, a member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG, particularly emphasizes the "great desire to travel", which contributes to the return to normality in air traffic. Julian Jäger, also a member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG, sees passenger numbers almost at pre-crisis levels given the strong travel summer and emphasizes the quality and efficiency of the services offered by the airport.
The dynamic development of the Vienna site is underpinned by several major projects, including the south extension of Terminal 3, the Helios logistics park, and a new, third hotel. The airport's commitment to climate protection is also particularly noteworthy: photovoltaic capacity will be doubled by the end of 2023, which means that Vienna Airport will cover around 50% of its electricity consumption with solar power. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Vienna Airport is not only showing impressive recovery but is also investing heavily in the future.