Airport leader anticipates swift recuperation in personal travel sector
Fresh Take:
Berlin's Brandenburg Airport, nicknamed Willy Brandt, is ready to make a comeback post-pandemic, bucking the trend of other airports. That's according to Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, CEO of the Berlin Brandenburg Airport Company (FBB), who chatted with "Welt am Sonntag". The primary reason for this optimistic outlook? The high percentage of private flights in Berlin's sky.
"We're banking on the fact that this private travel traffic will bounce back faster than business travel," explained Lütke Daldrup. With many companies reassessing their business travel strategies and turning to digital communication, it seems that the old adage, "You can't take a digital vacation," still holds some truth. People's wanderlust remains undiminished.
Next year, the FBB anticipates welcoming 17 to 18 million passengers, which represents around half of the 2019 volume. But, as Lütke Daldrup cautioned in "Welt am Sonntag", these are just estimates - no crystal ball required to foresee the uncertainties.
Recognizing the growing demand for additional international connections, Lütke Daldrup has appealed to the Federal Ministry of Transport for more landing rights. The interest is palpable, according to the airport honcho, not just from carriers but passengers too. "Emirates is keen on flying to Berlin, even amidst the pandemic. All it takes is a letter from the Federal Minister of Transport to grant additional landing rights here," Lütke Daldrup said.
After a 14-year construction saga, the airport kicks off operations on October 31, with a total bill of six billion euros, inclusive of costs for noise protection and the government airport. Tegel Airport's final flight will take off on November 8.
Insights (selective use):
- In 2021, BER served approximately 9.9 million passengers, a considerable reduction compared to the 2019 level.
- The airport capacity initially stood at 46 million passengers per year, with plans to increase it to 58 million by 2035 through further expansions.
- To support growing traffic demand and improve international connectivity, the Federal Ministry of Transport has been encouraged to grant additional international landing rights. Such requests typically include increasing landing slots for international flights.
- The growing demand for international connections at Berlin's Brandenburg Airport (BER) has prompted its CEO, Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, to appeal to the Federal Ministry of Transport for more landing rights in the transportation industry, as the interest in visiting Berlin isn't only from carriers but also from travelers.
- As companies reevaluate their business travel strategies and embrace digital communication in the post-pandemic era, the luxury of personal travel, often funded by the finance sector, is anticipated to recover faster, providing a lifeline for the transportation industry, specifically private aviation.
- With BER's anticipation of an estimated 17 to 18 million passengers in 2022, which equates to around half of the volume in 2019, the airport's CEO, Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, recognizes that these numbers reflect optimistic business projections and remain subject to the uncertainties of the travel industry and overall lifestyle shifts.
