Air traffic - Fewer destinations accessible with low-cost flights from Germany
From German airports, fewer destinations are reachable with low-cost airlines than the previous year. According to the regular evaluation of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), in a selected week in January, 466 routes served by airlines that meet the criteria of a low-cost company were operated. A year ago, there were still 485 destinations flown to.
Key features of low-cost airlines according to the DLR study are low ticket prices and their general availability on the internet. The 13 societies offered 2100 departures to destinations in 40 countries in the observed week. The frequency was particularly increased to Spain, resulting in a total offer that increased by 3 percent despite a lower number of routes. Domestic routes decreased by 5 percent.
In Europe, Ryanair is the largest provider, but in Germany, Lufthansa's daughter Eurowings leads the way. Most low-cost offers in Germany can be found at Berlin Airports. The airports of Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Cologne follow. Smaller airports like Dortmund, Weeze or Memmingen were able to significantly expand their offerings and play a larger role again.
DLR: Price comparison with previous years not meaningful
Ryanair increased its offer significantly even in the weak travel month of January. According to DLR statistics, planes took off in Europe almost 15,000 times in the observed week. That is about 15 percent more than in the comparison period of the year 2019 before the Corona crisis, which temporarily brought air traffic almost to a standstill.
For flights from Germany, the Irish offered the cheapest average price for a one-way ticket without checked baggage at 66.01 euros. Easyjet followed with 83.86 euros and Wizz Air with 94.48 euros per flight. Eurowings was the most expensive with an average of 109.65 euros.
For the study, a large number of connections with four different booking horizons between one day and three months were evaluated. Tickets booked at short notice are usually the most expensive. A price comparison with the previous years is not meaningful, as the German air traffic tax was increased in the observed period, the DLR stated.
- Despite the decrease in destinations from German airports, Eurowings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, continues to dominate the low-cost market in Germany.
- Cologne, alongside Berlin Airports, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and smaller airports like Dortmund, Weeze, and Memmingen, offers numerous low-cost flights in Germany.
- The German Aerospace Center (DLR) discovered that despite a decrease in domestic routes, the frequency to Spain increased significantly, contributing to a 3% increase in overall offers.
- In Europe, Ryanair remains the largest provider of low-cost airlines, but its German competitor Eurowings offers a significant number of low-cost flights from various German airports.
- DLR announced that comparing prices in the current year to previous years is not meaningful due to an increase in the German air traffic tax during the observed period.
- For budget-conscious travelers seeking low-cost flights from Germany, Ryanair offers the cheapest average one-way ticket without checked baggage at 66.01 euros, followed by Easyjet and Wizz Air.
- Even during the weak travel month of January, low-cost airlines like Ryanair increased their offerings, leading to over 15,000 takeoffs in Europe, a 15% increase from the pre-Coronavirus crisis in 2019.
