Interim results with Passenger-Plus at the airport

The traffic performance from January to August 2018 was presented at the meeting of the Supervisory Board of Flughafen Dortmund GmbH. Airport Managing Director Udo Mager looked back with satisfaction on the traffic numbers for the first eight months, as the airport recorded a significant increase in passenger numbers with a total of around 1.5 million passengers. When comparing the same period in the previous year, 14.2 percent more passengers used the Ruhr Area Airport than in 2017. The main growth drivers have been the new destinations that have been added to the flight schedule by the Hungarian airline Wizz Air: Poznan (Poland), Lemberg (Ukraine), Charkiw (Ukraine), Szymany (Poland) and Iasi (Romania) can now be reached from Dortmund Airport in just a few hours of flight time, complementing the existing range of destinations. The uptake of a total of five further destinations by the end of the year has already been decided. New flight connections to Tirana (Albania), Vienna (Austria), Debrecen (Hungary), Pristina (Kosovo) and Chisinau (Moldova) will enable Dortmund Airport to reach its target of 2.2 million passengers by year-end without hindrance.

On 23 August 2018, the District Government of Münster approved longer operating hours at Dortmund Airport. This was preceded by a supplementary procedure for the original permit dated 23 May 2014, in which the deficiencies in the weighing of interests identified by The High Court of Administration (OVG) in Münster were resolved from the airport's point of view. With the new permit, operating times and aircraft movements have now been determined which deviate from the application and fall short of the requirements determined by the airport. "We regret the changes. Nevertheless, I welcome the decision regarding the matter," stated Airport Managing Director Udo Mager once again at the Supervisory Board meeting. "With the delay regulations for landings until 11: 30 p.m. and take-offs until 10:30 p.m., airlines will be given the opportunity to park their aircraft and optimise their schedules." In this context, Flughafen Dortmund GmbH will accept the decision of the District Government of Münster and will not appeal.

In addition, the purchase of three electrically operated aircraft steps for 2019 was announced at the Supervisory Board meeting. The modern, environmentally friendly models will replace three end-of-life diesel-powered vehicles currently operating on the apron. In addition to electric motorisation, the aircraft steps also have photovoltaic cells to support battery charging. With the decision to switch to electric aircraft steps in the future, Dortmund Airport is fulfilling its commitment to gradually convert its fleet of airport vehicles to sustainable vehicles.

A well-functioning infrastructure with straightforward routes, clean facilities and an appealing atmosphere are essential parameters for making the travellers stay in the terminal as pleasant as possible. After the renovations and extensions of the restrooms in the departure and the baggage claim areas over the past two years, the next step will be the construction of new sanitary facilities on the gallery level. An important focus in this context is the handicapped-accessible and barrier-free design according to the latest standards.

Customer satisfaction depends to a large extent on the well-being of the customers, which is shaped by the processes and procedures in place at the airport, the service provided and the terminal infrastructure to be found. The targeted investments pay tribute to the company's efforts to further increase comfort and service for travellers.