Travel demand unbroken

Graz Airport again records passenger growth

With the changeover to the winter flight schedule, Graz Airport is now taking stock: Styrians' desire to travel brought a significant increase in charter flights. Fewer business trips to Corona, the cargo sector is also lagging behind this year. 

"In terms of charter traffic, we are well ahead of 2019. You can clearly see that there is still some catching up to do after coronavirus," says Wolfgang Grimus, Managing Director of Graz Airport, who is delighted with the "incredible increase of 31%" in charter flights.

Graz Airport has already recorded almost 710,000 passengers this year, which corresponds to an overall increase of 15 percent compared to the previous year. The growth in scheduled flights (plus 10%) is not as strong as for vacation flights. "The travel behavior of business travelers has changed significantly since corona," explains Grimus. Added to this is the current recessionary phase in the Austrian economy.

Less freight after record year
Business travel has not yet been able to catch up with pre-coronavirus levels. The freight sector declined this year: at around 13,300 tons, around eight percent fewer goods took off. However, this is a decline at a high level, as the best result ever was recorded in 2023.

Travel behavior among business travelers has changed significantly since coronavirus.

Wolfgang Grimus, Geschäftsführer Airport Graz

Bild: Juergen Fuchs

This week, Graz Airport switched to the winter flight schedule. A new feature is that Antalya is now served twice a week. The metropolis on the Turkish Riviera was also the most popular charter destination from Graz in the summer. There are also regular connections to Egypt, Gran Canaria and Tenerife for sun-seeking Styrians in winter.

More guests from northern Germany
The new direct flights to Berlin and Hamburg, which were introduced last year, continue to be ideal for city breaks. According to the airport bosses, these are very popular and are also bringing more tourists from northern Germany to the Grüne Mark. Whether Amsterdam will be included in the offer again in the future is currently the subject of discussions. H. Baumgartner