Hamburg Airport's Epic Climb in the Airline Rankings
Guts and Glory at the "Donaudampfschifffahrts-Elegien" Airport
Hamburg Airport elevated to Second-tier Flight Status - Airport in Hamburg Secures Position in Second Tier of Aviation Operations
Hamburg Airport, famously dubbed "Donaudampfschifffahrts-Elegien" by cult author Heinrich Heine, is steaming ahead - Corona be damned. Despite the absence of transatlantic destinations like New York, this German airport is soaring to new heights. After the corona crash, the airport braces for a recovery of 85 percent with the summer flight plan compared to the pre-corona year 2019, according to a response from the Senate to a written inquiry from the CDU parliamentary group.
Michael Becken, the spokesperson for Europe and International Affairs for the CDU faction, gives a low-key "woof" to the Red-Green coalition, accusing them of living in a provincial lair. He warns that they risk turning Hamburg Airport into a pitstop for barnyard pigeons if they keep playing it small.
Berlin, Stuttgart, and Cologne beware, 'cause Hamburg's here to stay!
The Senate boasts that Hamburg is cruising past Germany's other airports, trailing only Berlin (74%), Stuttgart (76%), and Cologne (80%) in their development. With around 120 destinations, Hamburg Airport Helmut Schmidt is comfortably back at the 2019 level. And in terms of direct long-haul connections, Hamburg Airport has blown the competition clear outta the water, breaking the 125% mark in passenger volume compared to the pre-Corona dark ages.
Think of long-haul as distances of 3,500 kilometers or more - that's the rough distance to Hurghada or the freakin' Canary Islands, both served directly from Hamburg.
The airport's longest flights lead to Dubai and Doha in the United Arab Emirates, the international hubs of Emirates and Qatar Airways. Qatar has been flying the route daily non-stop for almost a year, and the Senate predicts that this will "further improve international connectivity by 2025."
While dreams of a resurgent Hamburg-New York connection may still be a distant fantasy, other exciting destinations, especially for business travelers, in North and South America or Asia are missing from Hamburg's flight plan. These routes typically route through Doha, Frankfurt, Munich, or other large European airports and are unlikely to change any time soon, according to the Senate.
Speculation swirls about rekindling the defunct non-stop connection to New York, extinguished in 2018. But the political climate and the heavily imbalanced demand - primarily limited to the northern German market - make it a formidable challenge to attract North American carriers eager to carry passengers across the pond.
Hamburg is power-blasting its way ahead in "One-Stop-Connectivity."
With a current European airport association ranking placing Hamburg Airport at a keen 22nd spot out of a whopping 473 airports in Europe, the CDU finds the Senate's plans underwhelming. "The crucial Hamburg Airport plays no role for the Red-Green coalition," Becken sniffs to the German Press Agency.
For CDU member Becken, it's obvious: "The Hamburg Airport, a key player in the airline game, is left sitting at the kiddie table by the Red-Green coalition." The coalition agreement contains no strategic blueprint for the airport, and "even long-term capacity isn't on the table - pathetic for the world's second-largest city of the world's third-largest economy," he sneers.
Instead of focusing on Karaoke bars and bike lanes, Transport Senator Anjes Tjarks (Greens) needs to land a solid airline policy ASAP, Becken demands. "The airport in Hamburg must be urgently fortified to unearth its full potential and bolster Hamburg's economy."
- Despite the significant growth in passenger volume for long-haul connections, Hamburg Airport's aspiration for a direct connection to New York remains a challenge due to the imbalanced demand and political climate.
- To bolster Hamburg's economy and unlock the full potential of Hamburg Airport, the CDU suggests that the Red-Green coalition should develop a strategic airline policy, prioritizing international cooperation with developing countries, particularly for business travel, in addition to focusing on infrastructure expansion and finance management.
