Airport starts 2025 with growth

Dortmund Airport has kicked off 2025 with great momentum: In the first quarter, the Ruhr area airport saw its passenger numbers rise to 676,987. This is a growth of more than 40,000 travellers compared to the previous year, and an increase of approximately 6.5%. The number of takeoffs and landings also rose from 7,385 to 8,163 during the same period.

The traffic figures for the first three months surpassed those of the previous year, both on a quarterly and monthly basis. The increase of over 24,000 passengers in February represented a 12.5% rise, which is particularly impressive considering February 2024 included an extra day due to the leap year. In March, the airport handled nearly 237,000 travellers, marking it as the busiest month of the first quarter. Weather-related flight cancellations in January and a one-day strike led by the ver.di union, which halted air traffic entirely, negatively impacted developments.

The increase in passenger numbers gives the airport a positive boost, yet the forthcoming months are expected to be challenging. “In the first quarter, we matched the top figures of 2024 and achieved excellent results. However, since the summer flight schedule commenced, the withdrawal of Ryanair and the reduction in Eurowings' destinations have taken effect. This is expected to decelerate our growth in the upcoming months,” says airport managing director Ludger van Bebber. Still, he remains confident that “the introduction of new routes and increased frequencies by Wizz Air, Pegasus, and Condor will help maintain an attractive network of destinations for passengers and keep numbers stable.” Ludger van Bebber highlights that efforts are ongoing to completely recover the lost volume promptly.