Cologne Bonn Airport can look back on a successful 2014.

Bonn, January 2, 2015 (STAT):-The airport recorded 9.5 million passengers this year – a significant rise when compared with last year.And Cologne/Bonn was able to record growth in air cargo as well: The airport handled a total of 753,000 metric tons of goods. That puts freight volumes at 2 percent higher than the 2013 level.

“2014 has exceeded our expectations. We have developed better than the German passenger market, partially with growth rates above 5 percent. In August and September we succeeded in breaking the mark of one million passengers for two months in succession. Without the numerous strikes we would even have done a little better, but all in all this is a very positive development”, says Michael Garvens, Chairman of the Management Board of Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH. One highlight was the successful campaign to attract the new Lufthansa subsidiary “Eurowings”, which from the end of 2015 will offer low-cost long-haul services from Cologne/Bonn. “That, of course, was a huge success for us”, says the airport boss.

Especially strong in 2014 was the demand in the tourism segment, especially in the direction of Spain and Turkey. Almost half a million tourists were recorded in the vacation month of August alone – a plus of 9 percent.The growth-drivers among the airlines include the Lufthansa Group, Atransit traffic too: 360,000 passengers used Cologne/Bonn as a connecting airport – growth of a good 25 percent versus 2013.With the new “Eurowings” locating here that number will rise further,” added Garvens.

The moderate growth (+ 2 percent) in air cargo can be put down to the economic recovery. “Freight has recovered somewhat from its low in 2013, but could not quite keep pace with the passenger traffic,” says Garvens.