Austrian commercial airports enjoy high passenger satisfaction and play a key role in the country's tourism industry. This is according to the latest results of a comprehensive passenger survey conducted by the Association of German Commercial Airports (ADV), which was conducted at 2024 airports in 24.
Of these, around 14.000 interviews were conducted at Austrian airports. More than three-quarters of all respondents (78 percent) gave top marks for passenger satisfaction. Particularly noteworthy is the high proportion of so-called incoming travelers (40 percent), i.e., air passengers traveling to Austria from outside Austria. This figure is significantly above the German average of 21 percent and underscores Austria's attractiveness as a tourist destination. The Association of Austrian Airports (AÖV) is committed to further strengthening the provinces' airports. Since June 13, 2025, Norbert Draskovits, Managing Director of Linz Airport, has taken over the rotating presidency of the AÖV from Julian Jäger, CEO of Vienna Airport.
An outstanding testimony to service quality
The results of the ADV passenger survey are a clear commitment by passengers to the high quality of Austrian airports. The fact that 78 percent of respondents gave top marks for passenger satisfaction is an indicator of excellent service and efficient processes. Particularly noteworthy is that in Austria, the proportion of top marks (on a 6-point scale) is even higher at 44 percent than in Germany, where the figure is 32 percent. This speaks to the commitment of employees and the investments in infrastructure.
Julian Jäger, the current Vice President of the Austrian Airport Association (AÖV) and Member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG, emphasized the significance of these results: "Austrian airports have received an outstanding report card – directly from their passengers. This result is a testament to the high performance of our domestic airports as well as the excellent service quality of our dedicated employees." Passenger satisfaction is a crucial factor for an airport's success, as it significantly influences travelers' choices. High levels of satisfaction can lead to repeat visits and positive word-of-mouth.
Austria as an attractive tourist destination: The role of airports
A key aspect of the survey results is the importance of Austrian airports for inbound tourism. With a 40 percent share of inbound travelers, Austrian airports far exceed the German average of 21 percent. This underscores the central role of airports as "gateways to the world" for the country's tourism industry.
Mag. Norbert Draskovits, the new President of the Austrian Association of Austrian Transport (AÖV) and Managing Director of Linz Airport, emphasized this relevance: "Austria's airports are gateways to the world for business and tourism. The fact that almost 40 percent of passengers are inbound travelers demonstrates the significant role our airports play in domestic tourism." He also emphasized that, in addition to Vienna Airport as an international transport hub, the Austrian federal state airports in particular must be strengthened. This is crucial, as they represent the regional gateways to the various tourism destinations in the federal states. Good connections to these airports are therefore of utmost importance for the economic strength of the respective regions in terms of tourism. Increasing inbound tourism not only contributes to airport capacity utilization, but also generates considerable added value in the regions through hotel overnight stays, restaurants, and other tourism services.
Getting to and from the airport: The importance of intermodality
The ADV survey in 2024 included not only German airports, but also the Austrian airports of Vienna, Linz, Innsbruck, Graz, and Salzburg. An interesting detail of the survey concerns the arrival and departure of passengers to and from the airport: 45 percent of passengers use bus and train for their journey to the airport. This high proportion underscores the particular importance of efficient rail connections to the respective airport locations. It also shows that the different modes of transport can complement each other well in the sense of functioning intermodality. In Germany, by contrast, the share of bus and train in the so-called modal split is only around 32 percent, which highlights Austria's pioneering role in this area.
Efficient public transport connections are beneficial for airports, improving accessibility for passengers without their own vehicles and reducing congestion on access roads. This not only contributes to passenger satisfaction, but also relieves congestion on the road network and improves overall travel quality.
Another result of the survey shows that the share of business travelers in passenger traffic at airports in Germany and Austria averages around 20 percent. The vast majority of trips (around 80 percent) are for private reasons, which underscores the importance of vacation and private travel for airports.
Association of Austrian Airports (AÖV): Representation of interests and future prospects
The Austrian Airports Association (AÖV), founded in 1956, serves as an important representative of the interests of the Austrian federal state airports. Its members include the airports of Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Linz, Salzburg, and Vienna at the management and operational levels. The AÖV aims to promote cross-company cooperation, facilitate a regular exchange of know-how on operational processes, and represent common interests in national and international aviation and airport-related decisions.
The regular handover of the presidency to Norbert Draskovits, Managing Director of Linz Airport, is a reflection of this established cooperation within the AÖV. The AÖV also maintains intensive exchanges with its sister associations in Germany (ADV – Association of German Commercial Airports) and Switzerland (SIAA – Swiss International Airports Association). This international exchange is crucial for sharing best practices and representing common positions on European and global aviation issues. The AÖV's ongoing work is essential to ensuring the competitiveness of Austrian airports and further expanding their role as important infrastructure hubs for business and tourism.
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