Airport Charges: Infrastructure Costs

Charges and how they are calculated: an overview

Airport charges are incurred whenever aircraft take off, land, or are parked, as well as whenever passenger facilities are used. In addition, charges are levied based on the noise and emissions generated by the aircraft.

The sole purpose of charges is to fund airport infrastructure and to pay for the associated running costs. In Germany, airport charges are subject to approval under Section 19b of the German Aviation Act (LuftVG). The Civil Aviation Authority responsible for Frankfurt Airport is the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport, and Housing (HMWEVW). Before charges are set, airlines are invited to participate in the approval process through annual consultations and other measures.

On November 21, 2022 the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport, and Housing approved Frankfurt Airport’s charges proposal, which also includes the “Recovery Program FRA 2023”. This will enter into force on January 1, 2023. The aim of the recovery program is to support the rapid recovery of passenger numbers at our airport after the decline resulting from the pandemic. Airlines will be able to benefit if our airport can welcome more than 29.5 million departing passengers in 2023. This would equate to around 84 per cent of the departing passenger figures from 2019. In addition, Fraport is significantly increasing noise surcharges for older aircraft.

By taking this step, our company is creating even stronger incentives to use more modern and quieter aircraft. FRA has been a trailblazer in noise protection since the 1970s: noise-related charges were introduced in Frankfurt over 30 years ago and have now become the standard at many international airports.

An online calculation tool for airport charges (valid from January 1, 2024) is available here:

Online calculation of airport charges