Study finds German air hubs are losing passenger traffic

International air traffic from Germany is increasingly being routed via hubs outside Europe, according to a study published on Monday. 

The analysis, carried out by the Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry (BDL) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), suggests this is due to the higher costs incurred by airlines within the EU as a result of environmental regulations.

The study found that in 2024 around 54% of flights from Germany to the Far East and South-East Asia passed through hubs outside the EU, particularly in the Gulf region and Turkey. 

In 2019, before the pandemic, this figure stood at just under 44%, and in 2010 it was as low as just under 34%.

The data indicates that the German hubs of Munich and Frankfurt have lost ground. Their share of flights from Germany to the Far East and South-East Asia fell from around 56% in 2010 to around 36% in 2024. The study also indicates that flights to Africa are increasingly making stopovers at hubs outside Europe.

The authors of the study cite the European Union Emissions Trading System as one of the reasons for this. Under this scheme, European airlines must purchase emissions allowances for feeder flights to their domestic hubs. 

This is not the case for feeder flights to non-European hubs such as Dubai. European airlines are therefore at a competitive disadvantage in this regard.

According to the study, air traffic in Germany in particular has recovered much more slowly following the Covid-19 crisis than is the case globally. 

"The report shows a gradual decoupling of Germany from international air traffic," said BDL Chief Executive Joachim Lang. "We need lower location costs and a level playing field when it comes to climate regulations, so that the same conditions apply to all competitors."