Hamburg Airport's Climb in the Airline Industry's Second Tier
Hamburg Airport manages successful transition to secondary flight operations level - Airport in Hamburg secures promotion to second tier after successful season
Hamburg Airport, known as Helmut Schmidt, shines bright in the aviation sector - despite lack of high-profile transatlantic destinations like New York. After the Coronavirus pandemic's mid-air crash, the airport forecasts a 85% recovery with the summer flight plan compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019, climbing to third place among German airports, reigning over Düsseldorf, according to a Senate response to a minor inquiry from the CDU parliamentary group.
Michael Becken, the spokesperson for Europe and International Affairs in the CDU faction, accuses the ruling coalition for falling short in its ambition and predicts the airport might turn into a " provincial airport" if it persists.
Fights to Doha enhance the portfolio
Airports like Berlin (74% of pre-pandemic levels), Stuttgart (76%), and Cologne (80%) trail Hamburg Airport in their resurgence. With around 120 destinations, Hamburg Airport has returned to its 2019 glory. In terms of direct long-haul connections, the airport has surpassed its pre-pandemic passenger volume by 125%.
Long-haul flights typically span distances of 3,500 kilometers or more, corresponding to the distances to Egypt's Hurghada or the Canary Islands, which are served directly from Hamburg.
The longest direct flights from Hamburg reach Dubai and Doha in the United Arab Emirates, serving as international hubs for Emirates and Qatar Airways. Qatar Airways has been operating daily non-stop flights for almost a year, promising to further boost international connectivity by 2025, as stated by the Senate.
Nurturing the dream of a Hamburg-New York connection
Other critical destinations, particularly for business travelers in North America and Asia, are missing from Hamburg's flight plan. These routes typically connect through Frankfurt, Munich, or other major European airports, with the Senate anticipating this trend to persist.
Rumors of reviving the non-stop connection to New York, discontinued in 2018, remain just that due to the current political climate and unbalanced demand (mostly from northern Germany). Such connections would only be served by airlines from North America, according to the Senate.
Hamburg Airport excels in "One-Stop-Connectivity"
Hamburg pushes for liberalization of traffic rights at the federal level to leverage future market opportunities for the Airbus A321 XLR, which is manufactured in Finkenwerder. This would make transatlantic flights more economically viable for airlines.
Airports like Hamburg that cannot be hubs rely heavily on "One-Stop-Connectivity" - connections to national and international hubs from where flights embark to global destinations. Hamburg Airport ranks 22nd out of 473 European airports in the current ranking of the European airport association, surpassing German competitors like Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, or Cologne/Bonn.
Despite the Senate's plans, the CDU parliamentary group expresses dissatisfaction with a lack of ambitious strategies for Hamburg Airport.
For Becken, it's crystal clear: "The key player, Hamburg Airport, draws minimal attention from the Red-Green coalition." The coalition agreement lacks a strategic direction for the airport. "Furthermore, long-term capacity expansion is not on the agenda - a missed opportunity for the second-largest city in the world's third-largest economy," he told the German Press Agency.
Instead of focusing on inner-city traffic, Transport Senator Anjes Tjarks (Greens) is urged to prioritize the airport's interests. "The airport in Hamburg must be urgently strengthened to fully tap its potential and stimulate Hamburg's economy," Becken demanded.
- Hamburg
- Hamburg Airport
- New York
- Air Traffic
- Europe
- Coronavirus
- Senate
- CDU
- Doha
- Climb in Industry
- Düsseldorf
- Red-Green
- Stuttgart
- Cologne
- Atlantic
- North America
- Berlin
- Helmut Schmidt
- Hurghada
Additional Notes:
Currently, there are no specific public plans for long-term expansions of Hamburg Airport's transatlantic destinations, including cities like New York, as per recent sources[5][4]. Major expansions involving cities like New York are announced by carriers like Lufthansa, Swiss, and United, but these do not mention Hamburg Airport directly[2][3].
- Collaboration with developing countries could be an essential strategy for Hamburg Airport to establish direct flights to key business destinations in North America, such as New York, thereby enhancing international connectivity and economic growth.
- Despite becoming a major player in the airline industry's secondary tier, Hamburg Airport's cooperation with developing countries, specifically the United Arab Emirates, through flights to Doha and Dubai, has significantly boosted its growth and international hub status, setting a strong foundation for future expansions.
