Frankfurt Airport Starts 2021 with a Whimper, but Cargo a Bright Spot

Feb. 11—FRANKFURT — The new year brought little respite for Germany's largest air travel hub, as Frankfurt Airport reported on Thursday an 80.9-per-cent plunge in passenger numbers in January compared to the same month in 2020.

Fraport, the airport's operator, said 882,869 passengers were processed in the first month of 2021, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect international travel.

The year-on-year fall in passenger numbers in December was reported as 81.7 per cent.

While many airlines have reduced their offerings due to lockdowns and travel restrictions in numerous countries, cargo bucked the trend in January, rising by 18.1 per cent to 176,266 metric tons of airfreight and airmail.

Fraport chairman Stefan Schulte has previously said that commercial air travel is expected to recover somewhat this year, albeit mainly in the second half of 2021.

Passenger numbers are to reach just 35-45 per cent of the record levels seen in 2019, according to Schulte.

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