The Vienna Airport Group concluded the first quarter of 2026 with positive results. In March, the number of passengers across the entire group network, which includes Vienna Airport as well as its stakes in Malta Airport and Kosice Airport, rose by 5,1 percent to a total of 3.146.473. While Vienna Airport recorded a moderate increase of 1,9 percent, the international locations performed significantly more strongly. Malta Airport reported growth of 12,5 percent, and Kosice Airport saw an increase of over 50 percent. Overall, the group handled approximately 8,35 million passengers from January to March.
At Vienna Airport, developments were significantly influenced by geopolitical factors. The Middle East conflict led to massive restrictions in air traffic to the region from the end of February, resulting in a decline of approximately 90 percent in passenger numbers to the Middle East. Nevertheless, Vienna Airport was able to achieve a positive overall result thanks to growth in other sectors, particularly to the Far East (+41,5 percent) and Africa (+10,6 percent). A significant portion of the growth in Vienna also resulted from Air India's refueling stopovers, during which passengers remained on board.
Operational efficiency at the Vienna hub improved noticeably in March. Despite a slight decrease in flight movements of 1,4 percent to 17.585 takeoffs and landings, the seat load factor increased by 4,0 percentage points to 78,4 percent. This indicates higher utilization of the aircraft in use. In contrast, cargo volume at the airport declined by 8,0 percent to 26.221 tons, while the cumulative cargo volume for the first quarter, at 73.605 tons, was still slightly above the previous year's level. Despite the unstable situation in the Middle East, management is maintaining its existing financial and traffic planning for the full year 2026.
Additional data confirms a stable recovery in the long-haul segment to North America and continued interest in Western European destinations, which accounted for the largest market share in March with over 810.000 passengers. Vienna's role as a transfer hub remains stable with 455.896 passengers, with local passengers forming the core of the business at 1,78 million. According to Flughafen Wien AG (Vienna Airport), further developments depend heavily on the duration of the disruptive influences in the Middle East, with the diversification of the route network acting as a stabilizing factor.