Like most of its counterparts around the world, the global financial and economic crisis did not leave Munich Airport’s traffic figures unscathed in 2009. The total airfreight volume at Munich Airport, at almost 216,000 tonnes, was 11 per cent lower than in the previous year, but the quarterly figures for the cargo business show a clear upward trend, the airport said. After plummeting 26 per cent in the first quarter, the freight volume was already posting positive results again in the final three months of the year, with an increase of nearly 9 per cent as compared with the previous year.

For the current year Dr Michael Kerkloh, the CEO of FMG, the Munich Airport operating company, expects the upward trend to continue. “From today’s standpoint we expect to see an increase of about 3 percent in total passengers this year – partly as a result of a substantial expansion of our flight timetable.”

In the coming year the airport added that the range of long-haul routes served from Munich will continue to expand, mainly through new flights offered by Star Alliance airlines. According to current scheduling, the number of intercontinental flights will increase by 6 per cent to approximately 260 long-haul connections per week.