Salzburg Airport looks back on a successful 2025 financial year and is simultaneously setting the course for a comprehensive modernization of its infrastructure. With a total of 1.774.454 passengers handled, Austria's second-largest airport recorded a minimal passenger decline of less than one percent compared to the previous year.
In contrast, the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), a key metric for economic success, increased by just under 0,3 percent. Aircraft movements in commercial air traffic also rose by 2,7 percent to 14.747 takeoffs and landings. Despite ongoing global challenges such as supply bottlenecks at aircraft manufacturers and increased operating costs, the company generated consolidated revenue of approximately €85,7 million and closed the year with a positive net income and a strong liquidity base of €40,6 million.
To ensure the airport's long-term competitiveness, the management team under Bettina Ganghofer and CFO Stephan Moser has announced a massive investment program. Over the next 15 years, approximately €300 million will be invested in the airport's future. The centerpiece of this program is the comprehensive modernization of the terminal complex, with a total investment of €105 million planned by 2033. The main terminal, dating from 1966, and Amadeus Terminal 2 will be structurally and technically integrated into a modern, unified facility. Initial preparatory work, including the demolition of the old Hangar 2, will begin this year, with the main construction phase starting in early 2027. This modernization is also necessary to meet the increased regulatory requirements for space and technology under the new European Entry-Exit System (EES), for whose implementation more than €5 million has been budgeted.
In addition to infrastructure projects, significant expenditures for remediation measures were a key focus in the past fiscal year. Of the nearly €8 million invested in 2025, a portion went toward continuing the remediation of PFAS contamination in the groundwater, caused by past firefighting foam operations by the airport fire brigade. The construction of a groundwater treatment plant and the adaptation of the well systems alone cost €12 million in the first phase. Further investments included a new large fire engine for the airport fire brigade, IT security measures, and the technical modernization of the vehicle fleet. Stefan Schnöll, Deputy Governor of Salzburg and Chairman of the Supervisory Board, emphasized that the airport, with its approximately 1.300 jobs, remains an indispensable economic driver and the gateway to the world for the entire region.
For the current summer season of 2026, Salzburg Airport is presenting a comprehensive flight program that offers a strategic combination of established hub connections and holiday routes. Key hubs such as Frankfurt, Istanbul, and Dubai will be served frequently to guarantee connecting flights worldwide. In the tourist segment, destinations in the Mediterranean region dominate, particularly Greece with six islands served, as well as destinations in Spain, Italy, Tunisia, and Egypt. As a new route, the regional airline SkyAlps will connect the city of Mozart directly with Rome twice a week starting this summer. The optimized route network also aims to strengthen regional tourism, which is increasingly benefiting from a growing number of visitors from the Middle East. The airport will also celebrate its historic development with a large public airport festival on June 20, 2026, as part of its 100th anniversary celebrations.