As a result, the total annual passenger traffic at Bavaria’s gateway to the world has more than doubled since the turn of the millennium. During that time, the number of annual takeoffs and landings has also increased by around 100,000. An indicator of the steadily growing appeal of the airport and of Munich as a destination is the further improvement in the aircraft load factor in 2018: The 77.5 percent average occupancy of seats on flights to and from Munich in 2018 represents a new all-time high.

Munich Airport has also remained an important cargo hub for the Bavarian economy. Although the 368,000 tonnes of airfreight handled in 2018 represents a 2.8 decrease in cargo and mail as compared with the previous year, the airport nevertheless achieved the second highest cargo turnover in its history.

Dr. Michael Kerkloh, the President and CEO of Munich Airport, was more than pleased with the results: “On balance, the traffic figures are outstanding. Despite the challenging conditions, including the insolvency of several airlines and above-average numbers of cancelled flights, we achieved very solid increases in passenger traffic and aircraft movements in 2018. Thanks to the new A380 and A350 long-haul aircrafts now stationed here and the launch of attractive new intercontinental destinations, I am confident that Munich Airport has excellent prospects despite our increasing capacity crunch.”

The post Munich Airport maintained dynamic traffic growth in 2018 appeared first on International Finance.

In the Gate K21 waiting area in the satellite terminal, the partners have created a discovery zone with an appealing visual concept, centered around fascinating aspects of environmental and climate protection. Information panels with short texts, images, infographics, videos and interactive elements offer an easy-to-understand look at the measures already taken to improve the ecological balance as well as the future strategies. With its sustainable design and state-of-the-art climate buffer, the satellite terminal itself sets new standards for energy efficiency. The Green Gate presentation also highlights Lufthansa’s achievements in fuel efficiency, especially with its modern fleet. The prime example is the Airbus A350-900, one of the world’s most innovative passenger aircraft, which Lufthansa operates on its long-haul routes from the Munichhub.

“The airport and the airline complement one another and are working to capture synergy effects. This makes Munich Airport a leader in green aviation. Here you can see one of the world’s most advanced long-haul jetliners parked at one of the world’s best terminals. That not only creates greater comfort for passengers. It benefits the environment, too,” said Dr. Michael Kerkloh, the CEO and President of Munich Airport at the official opening of the Green Gate. Wilken Bormann, the CEO of Lufthansa’sMunich Hub, noted the shared climate protection strategy of the aviation industry, which calls for a 1.5 percent annual improvement in fuel efficiency through to 2020 and a 50 percent reduction in net CO2 emissions by 2050 as compared with 2005 levels.

“The Airbus A350-900 achieves better fuel economy than any comparable aircraft, and uses an average of just 2.9 liters of fuel per 100 passenger kilometers. In addition, the new “whisper jet” significantly reduces the noise impact on residents in the surrounding area. The noise footprint of the A350 is 50% smaller than that of the A340,” said Mr. Bormann.

The Green Gate displays offer insights into a multi-faceted range of topics related to sustainability in aviation. For example, there are information panels on new approach procedures, the environmentally-friendly procedure for supplying aircraft with pre-conditioned air, aircraft de-icing and the recycling of de-icing fluids, air quality monitoring, and the commitment of the two companies to biodiversity and noise/sound protection. Visitors can hop onto an LED stepper to generate electric power through their own efforts or use a CO2 calculator to measure their personal carbon footprint.

With Green Gate, Munich Airport and Lufthansa are highlighting their shared commitment to sustainable and responsible operations in all spheres of activity in order to boost ecological efficiency, both in the airport itself and in flight operations.

The post New “Green Gate” exhibition at Munich Airport presents sustainable air travel ideas appeared first on International Finance.

In view of the record figures, Dr Michael Kerkloh, the President and CEO of Munich Airport, is confident that the company is well prepared for the challenges that lie ahead: “This ensures that Munich Airport will be able to make the necessary investments to handle its future tasks with its own financial resources.” Kerkloh’s outlook at today’s annual press conference in Munich: “All the signs point to a continuation of our very satisfactory performance, so that we fully expect to report earnings at around the same level for 2018.”  

A look at the current traffic trends in the recently launched summer timetable period confirms this assessment. With five Lufthansa Airbus A 380 aircraft now stationed in Munich, the Bavarian hub has become just the fourth European airport – after London, Paris and Frankfurt – to serve as a home base for the world’s largest passenger aircraft. Lufthansa will operate daily services to Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Beijing with the superjumbo. In addition, the German carrier has added four plans from the Airbus A320 to its Munich fleet for medium-haul flights. This has further improved the connectivity of the Munich hub.

Another important component enhancing Munich Airport’s hub status is the upgrade of the Lufthansa fleet with modern Airbus A350 long-haul jets. The airline has already eight of a total of 15 of these wide-body jets in service. The Munich Airport 2108 summer timetable includes a more extensive range of intercontinental flights and destinations than ever before. CEO Kerkloh called this “a further step in solidifying Munich Airport’s hub function.” He added: “The new long-haul services have greatly strengthened our airport’s global network. Munich is becoming more and more attractive as a springboard for travel to other continents.”

The Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings is also helping to maintain the momentum of this trend: From the beginning of next week, Eurowings will be launching new long-haul services to and from Munich. The airline will offer scheduled services from Munich to 15 intercontinental destinations – including such holiday hotspots as Cancun, Fort Myers, Mauritius, Montego Bay and Las Vegas. As a result, travellers will have the option of flying with low-cost airlines on long-haul routes for the first time. Thanks to Eurowings, the share of low-cost carriers in total traffic in Munich is expected to increase to around 11% in 2018.

The post Munich Airport reports record net annual profit of €155mn for 2017 appeared first on International Finance.