FRA/rap> The Fraport Group's six airports served about 63 million passengers in the January-to-October 2006 period, a 1.5 percent  increase compared to last year. Frankfurt Airport (FRA) recorded 0.8 percent passenger growth during the first 10 months of the year.  Although the October 2006 traffic figures were slightly below the previous year's level due to increasingly serious capacity constraints at FRA, Fraport AG remains optimistic about its positive expectations for the 2006 financial year – the company will present its corresponding financial figures for the first nine months of the year on Tuesday morning.

In the first 10 months of 2006, Frankfurt Airport served 44,981,221 passengers, 0.8 percent more than in the corresponding months of 2005. With 1,691,877 metric tons or an increase of 9.3 percent, FRA's airfreight throughput created substantially higher growth.  FRA's airmail traffic during the January-to-October 2006 period totalled 77,627 metric tons, down 2.2 percent.  Maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs) declined by 1.1 percent to 23,496,924 metric tons. 

The Group's airports recorded 6,924,015  passengers in October 2006, 1.7 percent more than in  2005.  Traffic at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (HHN) jumped by  23.9 percent to 347,512 passengers. Hanover Airport (HAJ) experienced a 5.8 percent decline in traffic to  592,590 passengers. Saarbrücken Airport (SCN) registered 45,718 passengers, down 15.9 percent.  Some 565,536 passengers used Fraport's international terminal at Antalya Airport (AYT) in Turkey, a 9.0 percent rise in traffic. With 568,719 passengers, Peru's Lima Airport (LIM) saw 16.2 percent growth.  Cargo tonnage (airfreight + airmail) at Fraport's airports rose by 1.8 percent year-on-year to 233,501 metric tons.  Aircraft movements for the Group totalled 64,725 takeoffs and landings, up 0.1 percent. 

Frankfurt Airport welcomed 4,804,537 passengers in the reporting month – 0.6 percent less than a year earlier.  Airfreight throughput slowed by 0.4 percent to 180,208 metric tons.  In contrast, airmail tonnage climbed 2.3 percent to 8,170 metric tons.  With 42,717 takeoffs and landings, FRA registered a 1.2 percent slide in aircraft movements year-on-year.  MTOWs reached 2,442,566 metric tons in October 2006, down by 2.6 percent.

The autumn vacation period did not create the usual surge in traffic at FRA – traditional Mediterranean destinations stagnated.  Europe traffic remained the only growth engine, thanks to rising business travel.  In the airfreight category, routes to and from Asia, above all, generated a three percent increase in tonnage.

"Despite FRA's passenger results, which demonstrate our capacity constraints – as did the  August figures – we remain optimistic about our financial figures," said Fraport AG's executive board chairman Dr. Wilhelm Bender.  Bender was referring to the company's financial figures for the third quarter and the January–to–September period, which will be released Tuesday morning. 

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Traffic Figures FRA
Traffic Figures Fraport Group

For More Information, Please Contact:
Fraport AG, Robert A. Payne, B.A.A. – Manager International Press,
Press Office (Dept. UKM-PS), Corporate Communications,
60547 Frankfurt am Main, Federal Republic of Germany;
Tel.: +49 69.690.78547; Fax: +49.69.690.60548;
E-mail:  r.payne@fraport.de