Passenger traffic down 7.5% at German airports amid strikes, Iran war

Passenger numbers at Germany's major airports were down 7.5% year-on-year in April amid the war in Iran and strikes at Lufthansa, industry figures showed on Thursday. 

The German Airports Association (ADV) said 17.01 million passengers passed through the country's major airports over the month. 

The main reasons for the decline were the impact of the Iran war, the six-day strike by crews at Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa, and the subsequent closure of regional airline Lufthansa Cityline. 

The early Easter holidays this year were also cited as a factor. 

Germany's aviation sector has struggled in comparison with European rivals in recent years, with airlines complaining of high taxes and charges. 

Lawmakers in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, are set to debate a planned reduction of air traffic tax on Thursday. 

Over the first four months of the year, passenger numbers at German airports were down 0.2% compared to 2025, but 18.8% below the level seen before the coronavirus pandemic. 

So far in 2026, flights are down by a quarter compared to the same period in 2019.

The situation is different for freight, where volumes have increased by 6.2% compared to 2019. 

According to the association, global air freight logistics chains reacted quickly to the effects of the Iran conflict and have remained stable.