Vienna Airport and its subsidiaries reported solid traffic results in May 2025, reflecting continued growth in passenger volumes and cargo. The Vienna Airport Group recorded a 3,7 percent increase in passenger numbers to a total of 3.884.572 travelers during the reporting month. The Vienna airport itself recorded an increase of 2,0 percent to 2.900.976 passengers.
While the number of local passengers in Vienna increased, there was a slight decline in transfer passengers. Worth mentioning is the strong increase in passenger traffic at the participating airports in Malta and Kosice, as well as the significant growth in cargo volumes, which indicates a revival in international trade.
Traffic development in May 2025: A detailed look at Vienna
Vienna Airport experienced mixed but overall positive traffic development in May 2025. With 2.900.976 travelers, traffic growth of 2,0 percent was achieved compared to the same month last year. These figures confirm the airport's role as an important hub in the region.
A closer look at the passenger structure reveals interesting dynamics:
- Local passengers: The number of local passengers, i.e., those travelers who begin or end their flight in Vienna, rose by 2025 percent to 3,3 in May 2.272.453. This indicates robust demand from the local catchment area, both for leisure and business travel.
- Transfer passengers: In contrast, the number of transfer passengers using Vienna Airport for a transfer fell by 9,7 percent to 576.180 travelers. A decline in transfer passengers can have various causes, such as airline schedule adjustments, changing competitive conditions on certain long-haul routes, or a general shift in travel flows. Vienna Airport must closely analyze this trend, as transfer passengers are of great importance for a hub.
The Flight movements At Vienna Airport, the number of takeoffs and landings increased slightly. With 21.828 takeoffs and landings, growth of 0,5 percent was recorded. This indicates that airlines are using their capacity at Vienna Airport more efficiently, possibly by deploying larger aircraft or improving the utilization of existing aircraft.
A particularly pleasing result was the cargo volumeIn May 2025, there was a significant increase of 14,7 percent compared to the same month last year, resulting in a total volume of 27.945 tons. This significant growth in the freight sector may be an indicator of generally increasing economic activity and flourishing international trade, which is also carried by air freight.
Passenger flows by region: Far East as a growth engine
The analysis of passenger traffic by geographical region at Vienna Airport provides information about current travel preferences and market developments:
- Western Europe: With 992.220 travelers, Western Europe recorded a slight decline of 1,0 percent compared to the previous year. This could indicate market saturation or increased competition on these traditionally busy routes.
- Eastern Europe: 250.803 passengers traveled to Eastern Europe, representing a moderate increase of 1,5 percent. This region remains a stable, albeit slow-growing, market for Vienna Airport.
- North America: Passenger numbers to North America fell by 4,1 percent to 40.915 travelers. This decline may be related to concerns recently expressed by the Lufthansa Group about declining demand in transatlantic traffic, as Vienna Airport is an important hub for the Lufthansa Group.
- Africa: The airport also recorded a decline of 7,4 percent to 24.620 travelers traveling to Africa. The reasons for this could be varied, ranging from political developments in individual African countries to changes in airline offerings.
- Middle East: This region showed slight growth of 1,0 percent to 67.564 passengers, indicating stable demand.
- Far East: By far the strongest growth driver in May 2025 was the Far East. Passenger traffic here rose by an impressive 32,7 percent to 48.256 travelers. This massive increase indicates a significant revival in travel activity between Europe and Asia, possibly driven by the opening of travel markets or strengthened business relations after a period of restraint.
Investment airports: Malta and Kosice as growth engines of the group
The Flughafen Wien Group includes not only the Vienna site, but also the investments in Malta International Airport and Kosice Airport in Slovakia. These investments continue to develop extremely positively and contribute significantly to the Group's overall growth.
- Malta Airport: Malta Airport recorded a total of 2025 passengers in May 927.709, representing a strong growth of 8,1 percent. Malta is a popular tourist destination and benefits from strong demand for leisure travel, supported by its good connections to European cities. The island is also a major center for the financial services sector and the online gambling market, which also contributes to stable passenger volumes.
- Airport Kosice: Even more impressive was the growth at Kosice Airport, which recorded a passenger volume of 55.887 travelers, representing a significant increase of 30,7 percent. This strong growth at Kosice could be due to the development of new routes, the increased presence of low-cost airlines, or a general economic recovery in eastern Slovakia, leading to more business and leisure travel.
The positive development of the associated airports underlines the successful strategy of the Flughafen Wien Group to diversify its portfolio and benefit from the strength of various regional markets.
Cumulative results January to May 2025: An outlook for the full year
The cumulative traffic results for the period from January to May 2025 confirm the positive trend:
- Vienna Airport: At the Vienna site, passenger traffic increased by 3,2 percent year-on-year to a cumulative total of 11.727.957 passengers. This represents solid growth, demonstrating that the airport is well on track to exceed the figures for the full year 2024.
- Freight volume: Cargo volume at Vienna Airport was also robust, increasing by 10,2 percent to a cumulative total of 128.224 tons in the first five months of the year. This underscores the airport's importance as a logistics hub.
- Vienna Airport Group: Across the entire Flughafen Wien Group, passenger numbers increased by 2025 percent to 5,5 travelers between January and May 15.566.977. The group's stronger growth compared to the Vienna site alone highlights the positive impact of the affiliated airports in Malta and Kosice on the overall result.
The continued growth despite regional differences and the decline in transfer passengers in Vienna demonstrate the resilience of the aviation business. Vienna Airport and its subsidiaries appear well positioned to meet the challenges of the global aviation market and continue to play an important role in European connectivity. Further developments will depend on the global economic situation, general travel appetite, and airline strategy.
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