Air Passengers in NRW Begin Relaxed Christmas Holidays - Air Passengers in NRW Begin Relaxed Christmas Holidays
Germany’s second-largest airport, Düsseldorf, is gearing up for a busy Christmas season. Over 865,000 travellers are expected to pass through, marking an eight percent rise from last year. Nearby Cologne/Bonn Airport is also preparing for a surge, with smooth operations reported so far during the first holiday weekend.
The Christmas travel rush began strongly at both Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn airports. On Friday alone, Düsseldorf handled more than 52,000 passengers and around 390 flights. Similar numbers are anticipated for the rest of the weekend.
Cologne/Bonn expects around 74,000 passengers from Friday to Sunday. Meanwhile, Düsseldorf forecasts 407,000 departures over the entire holiday period—a seven percent increase compared to 2023. In total, the airport has scheduled 6,100 flights, up eight percent from last year. Popular destinations for holidaymakers include the Canary Islands, Egypt, the Gulf States, Spain, and Turkey. The busiest airlines flying from both airports are Eurowings, TUI fly, and Ryanair, which dominate leisure routes during December.
The early days of the Christmas break have seen efficient operations at both airports. With passenger numbers climbing, Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn are set to remain key hubs for holiday travel. Eurowings, TUI fly, and Ryanair continue to lead in carrying travellers to warm-weather destinations.
