Vienna hits 22.5m pax and hopes for calm in markets

By Doug Newhouse |

Vienna Airport management has reported a record 22.5m passengers (+2.2%) in 2014, despite pressure and is predicting more growth if the market remains calm.

 

Airport management is now forecasting passenger development of between 0% to +2%, ‘depending on development of trouble spots’ and has issued financial guidance for 2015 pointing to increased revenue, EBITDA and net profit, despite cautious passenger forecasts. It is also calling for the abolition of the country’s ticket tax, claiming that it is impeding both growth and new job creation.

 

“Attracting new airline customers and flight offerings for the Vienna hub is our clear strategic objective,” said Julian Jäger, Member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG.

 

“Together with our partners, we generated good results in 2014, especially with respect to long-haul routes and new destinations,” said Jäger. “A great deal was also achieved in improving service quality. We already implemented more than 120 individual measures, and the newly-designed Pier West represents a new benchmark at Vienna Airport”.

 

Vienna Airport has expanded its retail offer to try and service all needs.

 

 

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ON 2015

“However, the crisis situations in Russia and the Ukraine as well as in the Middle East, along with strike-related flight cancellations and the generally restrained economic climate had perceptible effects on Vienna Airport. For these reasons we anticipate a drop in passenger volume in the first quarter of 2015, but a slightly positive passenger development between 0% and +2% for the entire year 2015”, he adds.

 

Meanwhile, Vienna Airport is determined to focus on driving its revenue per passenger in 2015 and concentrate on what can be gained and not on what has been lost, according to Adil Raïhani, Senior Vice President Centre Management. He speaks both positively and very frankly in TRBusiness’ annual survey this month, where he calls on the industry to focus on issues it can influence.

 

He said: “We should all accept things as they are and focus on what you can influence. In general, I think that service and quality in travel retail is pretty poor and that too many stakeholders are simply accepting this. It rarely happens that I am astonished by excellent customer service and I want this for our airport; to become a point of difference.”

 

 

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