Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO Hamburg Airport: “Because of its proximity to the city, the airport carries a special responsibility for the surrounding area, for the environment, and for secure employment in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Hamburg Airport’s sustainable corporate philosophy delivers long-term, forward-looking security for northern Germany’s principal airport.”
After notable success in recent years, Hamburg Airport is on track to handle 15 million annual passengers for the first time this year. Central to this growth is route expansion, sustainable and corporate programmes, and innovation, all of which led to it being commended in the ‘10-25 million passenger’ category at this year’s ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards. Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO Hamburg Airport, spoke to Samantha Jenkins.
Hamburg Airport’s mission to be a reliable partner and neighbour is clear. At the heart of all operations at Germany’s fifth busiest airport lays a quest for innovation, route development and sustainability. Importantly, this has transferred into impressive passenger numbers, with 9.3% growth last year to a record 14.76 million passengers. That trend has continued in 2015 – the period to end-July saw a 7.6% increase – and the airport forecasts 15 million annual passengers for the first time this year.
This success was recognised at this year’s ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards, where Hamburg Airport was commended in the ‘10-25 million passenger’ category. The judges praised the airport for its “increased connectivity including a portfolio of 28 new routes”, “new self-service infrastructure for passengers”, and for paying “special attention to corporate social responsibility”.
“Because of its proximity to the city, the airport carries a special responsibility for the surrounding area, for the environment, and for secure employment in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region,” Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO Hamburg Airport, explained. “Hamburg Airport’s sustainable corporate philosophy delivers long-term, forward-looking security for northern Germany’s principal airport.”
This philosophy includes a voluntary noise protection programme, and sponsorship of cultural, sporting and social projects.
Route development and an enhanced passenger experience
easyJet has an important share in current passenger growth in Hamburg. Its increased seat capacity and new services are stimulating demand. The airport has a wide portfolio of low-cost carriers, whose business model works well at Hamburg, a popular city break destination. Its route development strategy includes a focus on direct services to France and Eastern Europe. “We are also looking at markets where the yields are well above average, and talking to airlines about introducing further frequencies or larger aircraft,” Eggenschwiler added.
The dynamic growth being experienced on European services means the Hamburg team is increasingly focusing on long-haul traffic. Currently United, Emirates, and Iran Air, all serve Hamburg. “Our main focus is on China and North America. Furthermore, we are in talks with airlines that fly long-haul to seasonal leisure destinations, such as the Caribbean and Canada,” Eggenschwiler commented.
Several projects are being pursued to enhance the passenger experience at Hamburg Airport. Gift Recommender is a service designed to provide innovative and practical gift ideas for men, women and children. Another example is the airport’s cooperation with Yoints. With the Yoints retail app, passengers and visitors can get points when they visit many shops at Hamburg Airport and elsewhere in the city. Users of the app are automatically recognised when they enter a participating shop, and the latest special offers are displayed on their smartphone. The digital shopping service launched in July – FillMyFridge.de – has also been very successful, enabling passengers to order groceries for collection on their arrival into Hamburg.
Meanwhile, a significant development project underway is the new Hamburg Airport Cargo Centre (HACC), which will open in the second quarter of 2016. There are also plans to renew the airport’s apron.
These are certainly exciting times for the airport and the city of Hamburg. “Being Europe’s largest non-capital city, it is not that much of a surprise why Hamburg feels fit to be a candidate for the Olympic Games in 2024. This major project, as well as the opening of the iconic Elb-Philharmonic Concert Hall at the beginning of 2017, are eye-opening reasons for airlines to take a closer look at Hamburg and to discover what is in it for them,” Eggenschwiler concluded.
