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Press release

21.04.2009

Hamburg Airport closes 2008 with solid result

At Hamburg Airport, as elsewhere, 2008 was an eventful year. After a first half in which the airport achieved a strong growth rate, growth flattened out in the second half of the year. Hamburg Airport handled 12.84 million passengers in 2008, a record result in pas-senger numbers (+0.5 per cent), bringing the airport up to 98th place in the league table of the largest international airports (2007: 101st place). Turnover declined slightly, by 1.5 per cent, to 230.7 million euros. Total earnings of 39.3 million euros were 18.5 per cent down on the previous year. Aircraft load factors were higher in 2008, so that the number of aircraft movements declined by 0.8 per cent to 172,064, despite the growth in pas-senger numbers. The load factor rose from 71.7 per cent to 72.2 per cent. Air freight also felt the effects of the weak economy, with air cargo transshipped at Hamburg Airport, excluding airmail and transit, declining by 7.6 per cent to 78,018 tonnes. Flown air cargo rose by 3.7 per cent, whilst truck transshipment declined by 9.6 per cent.
“The effects of the weak economy have affected us, too,” said Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO of Hamburg Airport, at the Financial Results Press Conference. “In the present en-vironment, flexibility and strict cost management are just as important as optimal re-source planning. At the same time, we are continuing to invest in customer comfort. Around 40 million euros of investments are planned for 2009 alone. To date, the airlines have reacted to the weak economic situation with consistency and dependability. It is our goal to maintain the variety of Hamburg’s route network.”

High investment level and declining turnover affect results

In 2008, Hamburg Airport invested 76 million euros in new infrastructure, an increase of 106 per cent over the previous year. This was the highest ever level of investment in one year in the history of Hamburg Airport. Security charges at Hamburg Airport were re-duced in 2008. Increased personnel costs, resulting from an adjusted wage settlement which came into force on 1 January, 2008, had a negative effect on the result. Reduced rental income resulted in a decline in non-aviation revenue, which includes, for exam-ple, income from retail space, food & beverage outlet space, and advertising space. In December 2008, Hamburg Airport opened the Airport Plaza, expanding its non-aviation capacities. According to Michael Eggenschwiler, “Hamburg Airport has invested a total of 350 million euros in the site in recent years – 76 million euros in 2008 alone. This has enabled us to secure jobs throughout the site and even to create new jobs. Hamburg Airport is an important employer and a mainstay of the economy for the whole of northern Germany.”

Well-equipped for the future with the Airport Plaza and metro rail service

The New Hamburg Airport was completed in December 2008, with the opening of the Airport Plaza and the S-Bahn (metro rail network) service to Hamburg’s Hauptbahnhof (central station). The Airport Plaza houses 16 aviation security control stations and com-bines the baggage reclaim systems in a single reclaim facility, thus fulfiling important functions for the airport. But the Airport Plaza has much more to offer: a wide range of shops and food & beverage outlets make it a veritable market square for passengers. The new S-Bahn connection has had a successful start, carrying up to 13,500 passen-gers per day. Passengers, meeters & greeters, visitors and those working at the airport all equally appreciate the new service.

New parking facilities and hotel from autumn

In the autumn of 2009, the largest investment programme in Hamburg Airport’s history will come to an end: with the opening of the new parking deck between the P2 and P4 multistorey car parks, the HAM21 Expansion Programme will be complete. The new parking deck will create 1,600 additional parking spaces, directly opposite the terminals. This will increase the number of parking spaces in the immediate vicinity of the termi-nals to 8,400, with a total 12,500 parking spaces available at the airport. Autumn will also see the opening of a 4-star Radisson Blu hotel, opposite the Airport Plaza. With 266 rooms spread over eight floors, the hotel will guarantee guests a short walking distance to and from the terminals.

A diverse route network

Hamburg Airport’s particular strength lies in its extensive route network. Last year, 60 airlines offered direct flights to 125 destinations. The long-haul routes from Hamburg Airport are developing very well. In comparison to 2004, before the non-stop long-haul services were introduced, 2008 saw 128 per cent more passengers flying to New York, 230 per cent more to Dubai and 69 per cent more to Toronto. The summer timetable for 2009 will see new routes: Air Berlin will launch a service to Helsinki and Condor will launch a service to Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt. Starting in winter 2009, Germanwings will expand its presence in Hamburg, basing another plane in the city to serve, initially, Co-logne/Bonn, Klagenfurt and Salzburg.

Night post flights stopped: improved environment for nearby residents

Germany's postal service, Deutsche Post, discontinued its nighttime post flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt as of 30 March, 2008, after more than 25 years of operation. This resulted in a reduction in night flights (between midnight and 6:00am) of 48 per cent in 2008. The number of flights between 11:00pm and midnight also de-clined significantly – by a third. This has enabled Hamburg Airport to greatly enhance the nocturnal peace and quiet enjoyed by neighbouring residents.

Outlook: Hamburg Airport stays on course

Describing the outlook for the current business year, Michael Eggenschwiler said, “In the current economic situation, forecasts are barely possible. Our goal is to hold our course. In 2009, Hamburg Airport will invest 40 million euros in passenger comfort and convenience and continue to work on enhancing customer satisfaction. We are a fair partner for the airlines, securing the diversity and quality of the route network. Hamburg Airport remains a reliable employer and makes an important contribution to northern Germany’s economy.”

Facts and figures for 2008 at a glance

Shareholding structure of Flughafen Hamburg GmbH:

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