Fraport’s July cargo figures continue to suggest a recovery with Frankfurt Airport’s (FRA) rate of decline in airfreight moving into the single-figure range for the first time this year. Freight throughput fell only 9.4 per cent year-on-year to 156,000 tonnes; in June the drop was still 16.5 per cent. “An early indicator of general economic development, airfreight continues its rise from the economic trough,” the airport operator said.

With 40,462 takeoffs and landings, FRA recorded a 5.3 per cent fall in aircraft movements. Maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs) dropped by 4.3 per cent year on year to 2.4 million tonnes.

Passenger traffic enjoyed similar recovery with 4.9 million passengers using Fraport’s home-base airport FRA in the reporting month, only 3.3 per cent fewer passengers than in July 2008. For the first seven months of the year FRA’s passenger slide narrowed to 7.3 per cent.