Aircraft capacity shortages and the resulting flight cancellations presented Innsbruck Airport with unexpected challenges in 2024. However, the anticipated decline in passenger numbers was largely mitigated over the course of the year. This was due in part to a strong winter season and, on the other hand, to well-utilised holiday flights in summer, with more than 35,000 Tyrolean holidaymakers travelling from Innsbruck.As a result, 862,202 passengers were handled in scheduled and charter traffic in 2024, representing a decrease of –4.9%. For 2025, the airport is once again hoping for passenger growth.
At the beginning of 2024, it was already announced that Innsbruck would be affected by temporary flight cancellations from the second quarter onwards. The connection to the Frankfurt hub was completely suspended during the summer season, while flight frequencies on the Vienna route were reduced. It was therefore clear at an early stage that passenger numbers would decline over the course of the year. Encouragingly, the overall result turned out significantly better than initially feared. With 862,202 annual passengers in scheduled and charter traffic, 2024 closed with a decrease of –4.9%. The number of aircraft movements in scheduled and charter traffic amounted to 7,573, corresponding to a decline of –13.4% compared to the previous year. Compared to the record year 2019, passenger numbers in 2024 were still around 25% lower, while aircraft movements were down by approximately –37%. A very positive development was the average load factor: at 74%, aircraft were four percentage points better utilised in 2024 than in 2023 and only one percentage point below the record level of 2019.
Our top airlines, top countries and top destinations
In 2024, the strongest airlines at Innsbruck Airport were once again the Dutch carrier transavia and the British airline easyJet. Both partners increased their passenger numbers compared to 2023: transavia by 4%, easyJet by almost 10%. The top source markets were once again Great Britain and the Netherlands, while the most popular destinations were London, Vienna and Amsterdam.
“These results once again highlight the importance of the winter season for Innsbruck Airport. Demand from international guests spending their winter holidays in Tyrol and neighbouring regions remains very strong. Over the course of the year, Great Britain and the Netherlands are clearly our most important source markets,” summarises Airport Managing Director Marco Pernetta.
Although more than half of annual passenger traffic is handled during the winter months, the summer season continues to gain importance. In 2024, flights to popular sun destinations were very well received, with more than 35,000 Tyrolean travellers departing from Innsbruck for their holidays. Particularly strong growth was recorded for Greece and Spain.
Promising start to the winter season 2024/25
The current winter season has started very positively. In December alone, three new routes were launched with three new airline partners: Madrid with Iberia, Riga with airBaltic, and Warsaw with LOT Polish Airlines and Austrian Airlines. The resumption of the Frankfurt route since the end of October, as well as frequency increases on routes to Vienna, Amsterdam, Athens, Bristol, London Heathrow, Birmingham, Brussels and Hamburg, are also strong positive signals. Confidence for the remainder of the winter season is therefore high.
2025: 100th anniversary and Turkey as a new summer destination
The year 2025 will be marked by Innsbruck Airport’s 100th anniversary. The airport, originally opened in 1925 in the Reichenau area, will celebrate its anniversary on 1 June. Aviation enthusiasts can once again look forward to the traditional Airport Festival on Austria’s National Day, 26 October.In the anniversary year, Turkey returns as a new holiday destination. Tour operator TUI Austria will offer a weekly direct flight to Antalya starting on 23 May 2025. In total, 14 sun destinations in Italy, France, Greece, Spain and Turkey will be served directly from Innsbruck in summer 2025. Travel packages are being offered by long-standing tour operator partners TUI Austria, Idealtours, Rhomberg Reisen, Christophorus Reisen and Stoll Reisen, and can be booked via Tyrolean travel agencies or online.
Image credit: Gerhard Berger