Cologne/Bonn Airport handled around 4,25 million passengers last year. Compared to 2020, there was an increase of 38 percent, but it was a good two-thirds below the volume that was before the corona pandemic.

Things went much better in the freight sector, because Cologne/Bonn not only increased by 14 percent to 986.000 tons, but also reached a new all-time high. “In the second half of 2021 in particular, we recorded a significant increase in passenger numbers. Here, the number of passengers has almost tripled compared to the same period last year. Freight once again developed well above average and was able to close with a record value. Especially in the crisis, the outstanding importance of Cologne/Bonn Airport as the most important logistics hub in NRW for supplying the population with medical goods, industrial parts, food and everyday goods is once again evident," explains Airport Managing Director Torsten Wardrobe.

After a difficult first half of the year, in which passenger traffic failed to recover due to the corona, the number of travelers rose sharply in mid-2021. In the period from July to December, 3,6 million people used Cologne/Bonn Airport - an increase of 177 percent compared to the second half of 2020. "Tourist traffic in particular ensured increasing demand and a significant recovery in passenger traffic in the second half of the year ' said Wardrobe.

In the cargo segment, the limit of one million tons was just missed. In total, around 2021 tons of goods and goods were handled in Cologne/Bonn in 986.000 - 14 percent more than in 2020 and more than ever before. December ended with a record value of almost 94.000 tons. "Freight is a stabilizer in the crisis and an important pillar of our business model," says Wardrobe.

Better economic result expected

A look at the preliminary economic figures is extremely positive. The airport expects to end the year significantly better than forecast. The loss after taxes should more than halve compared to the first Corona year 2020 (-31,1 million euros). “Through increases in revenue and strict cost discipline, we were able to largely compensate for the decline in revenue in passenger traffic. Our successful business model with passenger traffic and air freight has proven to be spot on during the crisis," says Torsten Wardrobe. During the entire Corona crisis, a positive operating result was always generated.