Fraport Traffic Figures - July 2008: Strike Aff...

FRANKFURT, August 13 /PRNewswire/ --     Frankfurt Airport (FRA) served 
5,067,108 passengers in July
2008, down 2.4 percent compared to the strong July in 2007. Airfreight
throughput also slipped by one percent last month to 172,529 metric tons.
However, since the beginning of the year both passenger traffic and
airfreight tonnage have continued to grow noticeably by strong rates of 1.4
percent and 3.1 percent, respectively, compared to the previous year.



    The drop in passenger figures can be attributed to the
weakening business environment as well as the strike within the Lufthansa
Group, without which the decline would have been about 0.4 percentage points
smaller. Flight cancellations by Lufthansa, CityLine and Eurowings primarily
affected domestic traffic - leading to an unexpectedly strong slide of well
over 10 percent. Intercontinental traffic continued to be the only growth
market (up 0.9 percent). Increasing 29.5 percent, South America remained at
the crest of the growth wave.



    Airfreight also declined for the first time this year. The
main reason for this was the general economic conditions. Furthermore, the
strong euro exchange rate curbed demand for goods from Europe.



    Airmail tonnage slipped by 3.6 percent to 7,159 metric tons in
July 2008, and aircraft movements dropped by 2.2 percent to 42,728 takeoffs
and landings. In addition to approximately 500 strike-related flight
cancellations, this was primarily due to regular cancellations and reductions
in domestic services planned during the summer holiday period.



    In contrast, accumulated maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs)
achieved a new July record at FRA. With 2,502,691 metric tons, MTOWs rose by
0.1 percent year-on-year and exceeded the previous July record in 2006 by
well over 3,500 metric tons. Without the strike, the increase in MTOWs would
have been about one percent higher.



    The Fraport Group's six majority-owned airports (Frankfurt,
Frankfurt-Hahn, Burgas and Varna, Antalya, and Lima) together welcomed a
total of 8,481,597 passengers in July 2008 (up 0.5 percent). Fraport's
Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (HHN) low-cost airport in the Hunsruck region of
Germany recorded 425,761 passengers - a gain of 3.5 percent in the vacation
month of July 2008. The Fraport managed terminals at Antalya Airport (AYT)
registered 1,347,652 passengers and a 11.7 percent surge - the highest growth
rate in the Group. Peru's Lima Airport (LIM) welcomed 758,508 passengers in
July 2008, 6.5 percent more than in the same month last year. With 563,594
passengers, traffic at Bulgaria's Burgas Airport (BOJ) almost reached the 
previous year's level (down 0.2 percent). Also located on the Bulgarian Black 
Sea coast, Varna Airport (VAR) only received 319,538 passengers in July 2008
(down 10 percent).



    Cargo throughput (airfreight and airmail) at Fraport's
airports climbed by 0.6 percent to 210,149 metric tons in the reporting
month. Aircraft movements Group-wide rose by 0.9 percent to 70,811 takeoffs
and landings.



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Fraport Group - Traffic Figures for July 2008

    
    Airports       Passengers(1) Change in metric   Change  Movements  Change
                     absolute     in %  tons(incl.   in %    absolute    in %
                                          airmail)              
                                         
                                        
    Frankfurt (FRA)  5,066,544    -2.4   177,974     -1.1     42,728     -2.2
         
                     1,347,652    11.7       n.a.     n.a.     9,040     19.4
 
    Antalya (AYT)(2)   563,594    -0.2       137     40.2      4,010      2.5
                    
    Burgas (BOJ)       425,761     3.5    10,026     10.8      3,958      2.8
                
    Frankfurt-Hahn
        (HHN)
      Lima (LIM)(3)    758,508     6.5    22,011     11.0      8,448      1.3
      Varna (VAR)      319,538   -10.0       n.a.     n.a.     2,627     -7.9

    Fraport Group(4) 8,481,597     0.5   210,149      0.6     70,811      0.9


    ---------------------------------
    (1) Passengers (commercial traffic: arrivals + departures + transit)
    (2) Terminal 1 + domestic terminal (adjusted for base value 2007)
    (3) Figures provided by LIM
    (4) Base value 2007 = Group Airports (majority owned) as of 2007, plus 
        AYT domestic terminal





    
    For Further information, Please Contact:

    Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide,
    Robert A. Payne, B.A.A. - Manager International Press,
    Press Office (Dept. UKM-PS), Corporate Communications (UKM),
    60547 Frankfurt am Main, Federal Republic of Germany.

    Tel.: [phone]; Fax: [phone];

    E-mail: [e-mail]; Internet: http://www.fraport.com