The domestic aviation industry will continue its growth path unabated in 2024. In the first nine months of the year, a total of around 27,2 million passengers were counted at Austria's six commercial airports - an increase of 6,9% over the previous year.
What is particularly pleasing is that not only the number of passengers is growing, but also the capacity utilization of flights and air freight volumes are increasing significantly. This shows that the Austrian aviation industry continues to recover and is on a solid path to exceeding pre-crisis levels.
Airports as regional economic engines
The airports play a central role as hubs in international traffic and are crucial economic factors for the surrounding regions. As Julian Jäger, President of the Association of Austrian Airports (AÖV) and CEO of Flughafen Wien AG, emphasizes, the high level of connectivity of the hubs is particularly important. This enables the larger airports to grow faster than the smaller regional airports. Nevertheless, Jäger sees an urgent need for action to strengthen the regional airports as well. These airports not only act as job engines, but also make a significant contribution to value creation in their respective economic and tourist regions. A political course correction is therefore necessary in order to secure these regional locations in the long term and to consolidate their importance for the domestic transport system.
Passenger numbers rise, regional airports in crisis
Despite the general growth, passenger developments at the individual locations are quite different. While Vienna Airport remains the clear leader with an increase of 7,2% to 24,1 million passengers, smaller airports such as Linz (-22,6%) and Klagenfurt (-14,3%) recorded significant declines. Linz Airport in particular has experienced a dramatic decline compared to the previous year's figures, which can be attributed to changes in flight schedules and lower demand in the region. Klagenfurt Airport is similarly affected and is also struggling with a sharp drop in passenger numbers.
On the other hand, Salzburg and Graz airports have shown considerable growth, with increases of 10,2% and 17% respectively. Salzburg in particular, as the gateway to the Alpine regions with high tourist traffic, has benefited from the increasing travel traffic and international demand.
Higher flight capacity: A sign of efficiency
Another positive sign for the domestic aviation industry is the increased capacity utilization of flights. The so-called seat load factor, i.e. the average capacity utilization of aircraft seats, increased at all Austrian airports. The increase was strongest in Klagenfurt with an increase of 10,1 percentage points, followed by Salzburg (+4,2) and Innsbruck (+4,0). Smaller improvements were also recorded in Vienna and Graz. This shows that airlines are working more efficiently and can use their capacities better. Improved capacity utilization not only contributes to the airlines' profitability, but also reduces CO₂ emissions per passenger, which is of great importance with regard to the industry's climate goals.
Air freight exceeds expectations and pre-crisis levels
The development of air freight, which plays a crucial role in international trade, is particularly encouraging. In the first nine months of 2024, 265.756 tonnes of freight were transported - an increase of 17,5% compared to the previous year and even 3,7% above the level of 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic. This underlines the importance of air freight as a growth sector that has not only recovered from the crises of recent years, but continues to show strong momentum. The increasing demand for fast and efficient deliveries, especially in times of global supply chain problems, gives freight transport additional importance.
Challenges and Opportunities for Regional Airports
Despite the positive overall development, the smaller regional airports are facing challenges. The declining passenger numbers and the low number of flight movements in Linz and Klagenfurt raise the question of how these locations can remain competitive in the long term. The AÖV is therefore calling for growth-promoting framework conditions and increased political support for these locations. It is necessary not only to strengthen the large hubs, but also to give the smaller airports the opportunity to establish themselves as pillars of the regional economy.
Aviation in transition – but on a growth path
The Austrian aviation industry is showing itself to be strong and resilient in the first nine months of 2024. The growth in passenger numbers, flight movements and air freight underlines that the industry is well on its way to overcoming the challenges of recent years. Nevertheless, supporting smaller regional airports remains a key concern in order to exploit the full potential of Austrian air traffic and to sustainably strengthen all regions of the country.
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