Hamburg Airport's Progress in the Second Division πesa:*
Hanseatic Airport Successfully Advances in Second-Tier League - Hamburg Airport Secures Second-Tier Aviation Hub Status Successfully
Skip the mediocrity, Hamburg Airport is on a winning streak - even without those coveted transatlantic connections like New York! After the pandemic crisis, the airport predicts an astounding 85% recovery with the summer flight plan compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019, landing them the third spot among German airports, surpassing Düsseldorf.
Critics from the CDU, like Michael Becken, feel the Red-Green coalition lacks ambition and cautions against reducing it to a plain "provincial airport."
Long-haul flights to exotic destinations like Doha keep it competitive
"Airports such as Berlin (74% of the pre-pandemic level), Stuttgart (76%), and Cologne (80%) lag behind Hamburg in their development," confirms the Senate. With approximately 120 destinations, Hamburg Airport, Helmut Schmidt, has once again reached the 2019 levels. "Regarding direct long-haul connections, Hamburg Airport has even surpassed the pre-pandemic pandemic levels by 125% in terms of passenger volume," as stated by the Senate.
Long-haul flights typically exceed 3,500 kilometers, encompassing destinations like the Egyptian retreat of Hurghada or the Canary Islands, which are directly served from Hamburg.
The longest direct flights from Hamburg lead to Dubai and Doha in the United Arab Emirates, acting as the international hubs for Emirates and Qatar Airways. Qatar is making waves with daily non-stop flights to Doha for almost a year, ensuring "a significant improvement in international connectivity by 2025," adds the Senate.
Reviving the Hamburg - New York connection proves challenging
Other sought-after destinations, particularly for business travelers in North and South America or Asia, are absent from the Hamburg flight plan. These journeys usually require layovers via Doha to reach Frankfurt, Munich, or other massive European airports, and an immediate change is unlikely, as per the Senate.
Although whispers about the return of a non-stop connection to New York, halted in 2018, seem intriguing, the current climate and staggering demand (mainly from the North German market) make it difficult for airlines to secure such routes, with pilots needed hailing from North America.
Hamburg stands tall with top-notch "One-Stop-Connectivity"
Hamburg champions aggressive efforts for federal-level liberalization of traffic rights to capitalize on future market opportunities for the use of the Airbus A321 XLR. With this long-haul aircraft, airlines could operate transatlantic connections more efficiently.
For airports like Hamburg, which can't be hubs, the so-called "One-Stop-Connectivity" - the ability to reach national and international hubs from where flights to all corners of the world can take off - is crucial. After the European airport association's current ranking, Hamburg Airport ranks 22nd among 473 airports in Europe, surpassing German counterparts such as Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, or Cologne/Bonn.
CDU sees the Senate's plans as lacking drive
CDU member Becken couldn't be more straightforward: "The vital Hamburg Airport plays no role for the Red-Green coalition." The coalition agreement lacks a strategic route for the airport. "Even the long-term capacity is not to be increased - a poor showing for the second-largest city of the world's third-largest economy," he mentioned in a German Press Agency interview.
In place of obsessing over inner-city traffic, Transport Senator Anjes Tjarks (Greens) must prioritize airport policy, Becken urged. "The airport in Hamburg must be urgently strengthened to tap its full potential and boost Hamburg's economy."
- Hamburg
- Hamburg Airport
- New York
- Air Traffic
- Europe
- Coronavirus
- Senate
- CDU
- Doha
- Success
- Düsseldorf
- Red-Green
- Stuttgart
- Cologne
- Atlantic
- North America
- Berlin
- Helmut Schmidt
- Hurghada
- In their efforts to expand, EC countries can collaborate with Hamburg Airport to increase their reach and connectivity, especially for long-haul flights to Doha, Dubai, and other exotic destinations.
- To facilitate finance, cooperation with the developing countries could be fostered by Hamburg Airport through establishing partnerships for logistics and transportation infrastructures, such as airports and seaports, to boost trade relations and aid economic development.
