Passenger numbers rise again in 2024
Dortmund Airport reflects on positive traffic growth in 2024. Demand for flights rose once more at Dortmund Airport, culminating in a passenger increase of approximately 6.8 percent for the year. After surpassing the 3 million passenger milestone on 16 December, total passenger volume climbed to 3,132,707 by the year's end (2023: 2,934,516 passengers). This achievement marks the best passenger figures in the history of the Ruhr region airport. The last quarter of the year witnessed notable growth: October saw over 320,000 passengers, making it a record month, and the fourth quarter traffic figures rose by about 27 percent year-on-year to 786,691 guests. There is a noteworthy rebound compared to the pre-crisis year of 2019: 2024's traffic figures exceed those of 2019 by over 413,000 additional passengers, a rise of about 15.2 percent (2019: 2,719,563 passengers).
With over 433,000 passengers, the Katowice route remains the most travelled. The impressive figure of 385,000 from 2023 was exceeded by around 12.5 percent. The second position remains unchanged: Palma de Mallorca attracted nearly 217,000 passengers in 2024, growing by 8.6 percent. The growth of the Mallorca service is attributed to additional Condor flights offered three times a week from July to October. Bucharest placed third with 191,000 travellers, followed by Gdansk, Tirana and Sofia. Notable growth rates were observed: Bucharest saw a 46 percent increase, Gdansk rose by 19 percent, and Tirana grew by 20 percent.
Despite temporary limitations in destinations due to Pratt & Whitney engine repairs, Wizz Air remains the leading airline at Dortmund Airport. Over 2 million travellers used Wizz Air services to and from Dortmund, marking a growth of around 7 percent. Wizz Air resumed its service to Chişinău in December after a prolonged hiatus. “The broad range of flights to Eastern Europe is unique to the region and enjoys consistently high demand. New destinations and increased frequencies, along with larger aircraft providing more seating, are propelling Wizz Air’s growth,” states Guido Miletic, Head of Airport Services + Marketing & Sales.
Due to initial route reductions, Ryanair's passenger numbers in Dortmund fell by 7 percent in 2024, before their full withdrawal from Dortmund operations in April 2025. However, there were positive developments for SunExpress and Pegasus. The Turkish low-cost airline Pegasus commenced flights from Dortmund to Istanbul in December 2023, carrying over 93,000 travellers in its first full year.
As traffic is expected to rise continuously, the aim is to maintain around 3 million passengers by 2025. Alongside Ryanair's nationwide route cutbacks, Eurowings is also reducing its destinations at Dortmund Airport. High government fees and taxes are prompting airlines to increasingly relocate their capacities abroad. The European market is thriving, yet German air traffic trails behind 2019 levels with an 84 percent recovery rate (average excluding Germany: 99 percent).
Nonetheless, Ludger van Bebber, the airport's head, remains optimistic: “Our 2024 passenger numbers affirm that the demand for air travel is still remarkably high. We collaborate with dedicated partners, who remain eager to pursue growth.” New developments were already unveiled by the year's end: From June, Wizz Air will increase the frequency of flights to Katowice and will also add the Polish capital, Warsaw, to their flight schedule. Moreover, the temporarily suspended Craiova route will be reinstated. Pegasus has announced that from April it will be flying to the popular holiday destination of Antalya, while Condor will increase its flights to Palma. “With strong partners, new destinations, and increased frequencies, we aim to maintain Dortmund Airport as an attractive option for business travellers, tourists, and those travelling for family or cultural reasons. The demand for travel remains high, and we are doing everything possible to continue meeting these needs,” says Ludger van Bebber.