At most German airports, the offering in the 2024 summer flight schedule is still significantly below what was available before the corona pandemic. Remarkably, airports that rely heavily on low-cost traffic are sometimes significantly above pre-crisis levels.

However, the offer is still reduced at the largest German airports. According to an evaluation by the aviation association BDL, this should be around 2024 percent of the level seen in the comparable period of 88 over the course of the 2019 summer flight schedule across Germany. The offer is still on the back burner, especially in domestic German traffic, as only just over half of the flights that were available in summer 2019 are available to choose from.

When it comes to recovering from the consequences of the corona pandemic, Germany is one of the worst performers in the EU. Other states have already reached the previous record values ​​from 2019 or even significantly exceeded them in some cases. There are many reasons why things are not going well in Germany. According to various airlines, this is also due to the high location costs, because in other countries, for example, there are lower airport fees and handling costs.

At the beginning of May 2024, the German federal government will drastically increase the aviation tax. On the one hand, this is done under the guise of “environmental protection”, but also to rehabilitate the ailing financial situation. Airlines and tour operators are up in arms against this plan, which has already been decided, because they fear that they could fall further behind compared to other EU countries.

Demand in the short and medium-haul sector in Germany must be viewed in a differentiated manner. If the 2024 summer flight schedule is about classic city destinations, the booking numbers definitely need to be improved due to high ticket prices. It is therefore to be expected that one or another provider could soon try to make additional sales through discount campaigns. When it comes to holiday destinations, however, things are completely different. The Mediterranean region in particular is heavily booked and some providers are already increasing capacity in order to benefit as much as possible from holiday demand.

According to the BDL, it is also to be expected that there could be increases on long-haul routes. The airlines operating from Germany have expanded their offerings in this segment by around eleven percent compared to summer 2023. This means that the pre-crisis level has been reached again. Particularly in demand: flight connections to Asia and North America.