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Vienna Airport reports 10.4 million passengers in the crisis year of 2021, a decline of 67.1% from the pre-crisis level of 2019 – 13.1 million passengers handled by the Flughafen Wien Group (- 66.8%)
- Traffic forecast for 2022: 21 million passengers expected in the Flughafen Wien Group and 17 million at Vienna Airport, corresponding to about 50% of passenger volume in the pre-crisis year of 2019
- Earnings outlook for 2022: Vienna Airport will have to cope with a pandemic-related revenue loss totalling € 1.3 billion in the years 2021 to 2023 – economic turnaround expected in 2022 – Revenue about € 560 million, EBITDA at least €172 million – Climate protection investment drive underway to enable CO2 neutral airport operations – Business location projects add 1,000 new jobs to the airport site
“2022 will bring an upturn in passenger traffic – but the way out of the crisis is still a long one”
“The aviation sector is slowly recovering. We recorded 10.4 million passengers at Vienna Airport in 2021, comprising a passenger volume which is, after all, one-third higher than in the first coronavirus year of 2020. The first months of this year will still be very challenging, but we anticipate a significant upturn in passenger traffic beginning when the summer flight schedule takes effect at the end of March 2022. From today’s perspective, we could reach a level of 17 million passengers in 2022. Hopefully the situation has bottomed out, and I would particularly like to thank all Vienna Airport employees for their strong commitment during the entire time of the crisis. Thanks to their dedication and the commitment of all our partners at the airport site, Vienna Airport was the most punctual flight hub in the EU and third most punctual European airport. The summer flight schedule looks promising and from today’s perspective we will re-open the newly designed Terminal 2 before the summer. Our passengers will experience a first-class atmosphere thanks to the large, centralised security checks, a bright and modern interior design, new shops, an expanded restaurant offering and a very exclusive lounge featuring an area of 2,360 m²” states Julian Jäger, Member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG.
“2022 should lead to an economic turnaround despite the pandemic”
“In the years 2021 to 2023, Vienna Airport will have to cope with a revenue loss totalling € 1.3 billion caused by the coronavirus crisis. However, 2022 should see an economic turnaround. The basis for this improvement is a massive cost savings programme, public sector aid, in particular Austria’s coronavirus short-time work scheme which will probably end in March 2022, along with the incredible commitment of the entire staff. We have mastered the crisis up until now without having to dismiss any employees for operational reasons. We anticipate a substantial increase in revenue and earnings for the entire year 2022. Our climate protection investments are proceeding at full speed in spite of the crisis. Austria’s largest photovoltaic plant involving investments of about € 20 million will come on stream at the airport, and the supply of district heat will be CO2 neutral. In this way we will be able to operate in a CO2 neutral manner in the near future,” says Günther Ofner, Member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG.
13.1 million passengers (-66.8% vs. 2019) handled by the Flughafen Wien Group in 2021
Flughafen Wien AG (Vienna Airport and the international strategic investments in Malta Airport and Kosice Airport) reported a total of 13.1 million passengers in the year 2021, comprising a decrease of 66.8% from the pre-crisis year of 2019.
10.4 million passengers (-67.1% vs. 2019) at Vienna Airport
Vienna Airport also registered a massive decline in the number of passengers it handled in the year 2021, registering a total of 10,405,513 passengers. This comprises a drop of 67.1% from the pre-crisis year of 2019. Passenger volume compared to 2019 also declined with respect to transfer traffic (-65.0%) and local passengers (-67.7%). The number of starts and landings fell by 58.2%, whereas capacity utilisation of the aircraft (seat load factor) decreased by 14.8 percentage points to 62.5%. Cargo volume showed a downward development, declining by 7.9% in the year 2021.
Development of international strategic investments
The international strategic investments of the Flughafen Wien Group were also strongly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Malta Airport reported a passenger volume of 2,540,335 travellers, representing a decline of 65.2% from 2019. Kosice Airport handled 166,515 passengers in 2021, comprising a decrease of 70.0% compared to the pre-crisis year of 2019.
Forecast for 2022 passenger development: about 21 million passengers expected in the Flughafen Wien Group and approx. 17 million passengers at Vienna Airport
The year 2022 is expected to see an upswing in flight traffic but will remain a challenging time. From today’s perspective, the first three to six months of the year will remain weak, but a substantial increase in passenger volumes is expected starting in the summer and in the second half of 2022. Flughafen Wien AG expects about 17 million travellers at Vienna Airport in the entire year 2022 and about 21 million travellers in the Flughafen Wien Group (Vienna Airport and the international strategic investments in Malta Airport and Kosice Airport).
Financial guidance 2022
The Flughafen Wien Group has mastered the current crisis well thanks to its sound economic basis. From today’s perspective, revenue in 2022 is expected to reach a level of approx. € 560 million, generate a positive EBITDA of at least € 172 million and a positive consolidated net profit of at least € 20 million. Net debt of the company will likely be reduced to a level below € 50 million. Investments are anticipated to total approx. € 84 million in 2022.
Enhanced comfort for passengers: new shopping and restaurant offerings and newly designed Terminal 2 with an exclusive lounge spanning 2,360 m² and central security screening
From an operational perspective, Vienna Airport performed well in 2021 in spite of major challenges related to increasingly dense peak air traffic congestion, changing flight schedules and strict travel regulations which were conscientiously adhered to in the terminal by public authorities, military personnel, airlines and handling agents. As a result, Vienna Airport was the most punctual flight hub in the EU in 2021 and the third most punctual airport in all of Europe. Passengers will enjoy numerous new features at Vienna Airport. New shops and restaurants opened in Terminal 3 in 2021, namely AÏDA, Manner, Wiener Bierbar 1837 and dean&david. This will be followed by further restaurant highlights from celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck starting in 2022 as well as the coffee brand Bieder & Maier, Veganista/LaLa and Trzesniewski. From today’s perspective, the newly designed Terminal 2 will be put into operation before the summer of 2022. In addition to the new centralised security checks and the new shopping and restaurant offering, another special highlight is the new airport lounge covering an area of 2,360 m² with a view of the airport apron.
Sustainable growth at the airport despite the crisis: logistics firms locate at the site – airport to put Austria’s largest photovoltaic plant into operation and introduce CO2 neutral supply of district heat
The COVID-19 test offering at Vienna Airport has been well received. More than 300,000 antigen and PCR tests have been carried out since the testing station was put into service in May 2020. The test results are available on the same day. The AirportCity is also growing. Deutsche Logistik Holding DLH will open a logistics park at Vienna Airport operating on an area of
45.000 m², DHL Air is building its headquarters at the airport hub and Helios Real Estate is constructing a logistics centre on 21 hectares. Vienna Airport will also continue with the resolute implementation of its sustainability strategy in 2022. Austria’s largest photovoltaic plant covering an area of 24 hectares will be put into operation in 2022, and district heat will be converted to a CO2 neutral supply. As a result, Vienna Airport has taken a major step towards achieving its objective of being a truly “green airport”.
Traffic results in December 2021: Slight upward trend continues
Flughafen Wien Group: 1,192,856 passengers in December 2021
The slight upward trend with respect to the development of passenger volumes also continued at the end of the year. In December 2021, the number of passengers handled by the Flughafen Wien Group (Vienna Airport, Malta Airport, Kosice Airport) equalled 1,192,856 travellers and thus about four times the comparable figure for December 2020. However, this still comprised a drop of 59.8% from the pre-crisis level of December 2019.
Vienna Airport: fourfold increase to 921,602 passengers in December 2021
The number of passengers handled by Vienna Airport in the month of December 2021 was about four times higher than in the crisis month of December 2020, rising from 226,837 to 921,602 travellers. Nevertheless, passenger volume was still 62.6% lower than the pre-crisis level of December 2019.
Traffic results in detail
The number of local passengers at Vienna Airport in December 2021 fell by 64.5% from the comparable figure before the coronavirus crisis (December 2019), and transfer passenger traffic declined by 55.0%. The number of flight movements was down 43.6% in December 2021. In contrast, the cargo business increased, with cargo volume at Vienna Airport equalling 23,947 tonnes, a rise of 5.3% from the pre-crisis level of December 2019.
The total number of passengers at Vienna Airport flying to destinations in Western Europe was down by 63.7% in December 2021 from the pre-crisis level (December 2019), whereas Eastern European traffic decreased by 53.3%. Passenger traffic to North America declined by 56.6% compared to the pre-crisis level (December 2019), and the number of passengers flying to Africa was down by 52.0%. Passenger volumes to the Middle East and Far East were down by 61.4% and 81.8% respectively from the level preceding the coronavirus crisis (December 2019).
Malta Airport reported a drop in passenger volume of 46.7% in the month of December 2021 compared to the pre-crisis level (December 2019), whereas the total number of passengers handled at Kosice Airport decreased by 33.0% in the same period.
Details on traffic results for December 2021 can be found in the table below.
Traffic Development 2021
Vienna Airport (VIE)
| 12/2021 | 12/2020 | 12/2019 | 01-12/2021 | Diff.% to 2020 |
Diff. % to 2019 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers arr+dep+transit | 921,602 | 226,837 | 2,466,838 | 10.405.523 | +33.2 | -67.1 |
| Local passengers arr+dep | 711,582 | 172,664 | 2,003,019 | 7.849.778 | +24.6 | -67.7 |
| Transfer passengers arr+dep | 205,792 | 51,464 | 457,040 | 2.515.584 | +67.9 | -65.0 |
| Flight movements arr+dep | 11,649 | 4,077 | 20,666 | 111.567 | +16.4 | -58.2 |
| Cargo arr+dep (in tonnes) | 23,947 | 19,667 | 22,733 | 261.299 | +19.9 | -7.9 |
| MTOW (in tonnes) | 501,648 | 181,942 | 851,067 | 4.733.320 | +18.7 | -56.5 |
Malta Airport (MLA, fully consolidated)
| 12/2021 | 12/2020 | 12/2019 | 01-12/2021 | Diff.% to 2020 |
Diff. % to 2019 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers arr+dep+transit | 254,535 | 46,475 | 477,309 | 2,540,335 | +45.3 | -65.2 |
| Local passengers arr+dep | 253,871 | 46,061 | 472,187 | 2,536,018 | +46.0 | -65.1 |
| Transfer passengers arr+dep | 664 | 378 | 5,064 | 4,226 | -61.1 | -91.2 |
| Flight movements arr+dep | 2,727 | 767 | 3,708 | 24,516 | +29.2 | -52.8 |
| Cargo arr+dep (in tonnes) | 1,261 | 1,299 | 1,572 | 14,867 | -5.8 | -9.5 |
| MTOW (in tonnes) | 104,745 | 28,450 | 142,155 | 923,341 | +29.9 | -53.3 |
Kosice Airport (KSC, consolidated at equity)
| 12/2021 | 12/2020 | 12/2019 | 01-12/2021 | Diff.% to 2020 |
Diff. % to 2019 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers arr+dep+transit | 16,719 | 4,634 | 24,941 | 166,515 | +72.7 | -70.0 |
| Local passengers arr+dep | 16,719 | 4,634 | 24,941 | 166,515 | +72.9 | -70.0 |
| Transfer passengers arr+dep | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n.a. | n.a. |
| Flight movements arr+dep | 200 | 68 | 346 | 1,520 | +2.2 | -74.8 |
| Cargo arr+dep (in tonnes) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -100.0 | -100.0 |
| MTOW (in tonnes) | 7,049 | 1,807 | 7,010 | 52,975 | +63.7 | -65.2 |
Vienna Airport and strategic investments (VIE, MLA, KSC)
| 12/2021 | 12/2020 | 12/2019 | 01-12/2021 | Diff.% to 2020 |
Diff. % to 2019 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers arr+dep+transit | 1,192,856 | 277,946 | 2,969,088 | 13,112,373 | +35.8 | -66.8 |
| Local passengers arr+dep | 982,172 | 223,359 | 2,500,147 | 10,552,311 | +29.8 | -67.2 |
| Transfer passengers arr+dep | 206,456 | 51,842 | 462,104 | 2,519,810 | +67.0 | -65.2 |
| Flight movements arr+dep | 14,576 | 4,912 | 24,720 | 137,603 | +18.3 | -57.6 |
| Cargo arr+dep (in tonnes) | 25,208 | 20,967 | 24,307 | 276,166 | +18.2 | -8.0 |
| MTOW (in tonnes) | 613,442 | 212,199 | 1,000,232 | 5,709,636 | +20.7 | -56.1 |
Note: Total number of passengers includes local, transfer and transit passengers,
Traffic data adjusted.
Please address inquiries to:
Corporate Communications Flughafen Wien AG
Press Office
Peter Kleemann, Company Spokesman
Tel.: (+43-1-) 7007-23000
E-mail: p.kleemann@viennaairport.com
Investor Relations
Christian Schmidt
Tel.: (+43-1-) 7007-23126
E-mail: christian.schmidt@viennaairport.com
Website: http://www.viennaairport.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/flughafenwien
Twitter: twitter.com/flughafen_wien
Disclaimer
All statements made in this press release that refer to future developments of Flughafen Wien AG/Flughafen Wien Group are based on current assumptions and forecasts of the management. If the premises for these forecasts do not occur or risks indicated in the risk report arise, actual results may vary from these estimates. Despite the utmost care, all forward-looking statements are therefore made without guarantee and Flughafen Wien AG/Flughafen Wien Group assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
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