AUSTRIA. Vienna Airport has confirmed its forecast for a net profit of €4 million in 2021, marking a positive turnaround in the business. The figure compares to a net loss of €75.7 million last year.
For the full year the group expects to handle 12-13 million travellers (over ten million at Vienna Airport), ahead of the 2020 figure of 7.8 million but well below the 31.7 million figure from 2019. In the first nine months the group served 8.45 million travellers, slightly down on the same period in 2020 and -71.9% down on 2019. Encouragingly, there was a solid rise in Q3, with traffic down by -49.2% compared to Q3 2019.
The airport posted posted revenue of €274.5 million (flat year-on-year) in the nine months and a net loss of just €100,000. EBITDA was up +71.1% year-on-year to €106.6 million. The Retail & Properties Segment reported a year-on-year drop in revenue of -4.7% in the first nine months to €55.5 million. EBIT in the division improved to €20.1 million.
Member of the Management Board Günther Ofner said: “In spite of the continuation of the coronavirus crisis, the massive losses incurred by Flughafen Wien AG in the year 2020 will not be repeated. The successful cost reduction measures, delayed investments and growing traffic volumes mean that the targeted return to profitability will be achieved in the annual results.
“2022 will be characterised by growth. Some 50 new jobs will be created in the AirportCity located directly at Vienna Airport thanks to DHL Air’s establishing a head office at the site. Deutsche Logistik Holding (DLH) will open their cargo facilities covering 30,000sq m, and one of Austria’s largest logistics centres will arise on 23 hectares in the near future on the expanded airport premises. These and other business location projects will bring approx. 1,000 new jobs to the airport in the coming years. In this regard, sustainability is a top priority. The country’s largest photovoltaic plant spanning 24 hectares will be put into operation in the Spring of 2022.”
Member of the Management Board Julian Jäger added: “The upward trend in traffic development is continuing. In October 2021 we registered four times as many passengers as in October of the previous year, and capacity utilisation is also increasing once again. The current 2021/22 Winter flight schedule featuring 150 destinations is almost at the pre-crisis level, and travellers will currently find particularly attractive offers at present.
“Sunny long-haul destinations for the cold season such as Cancún, Malé and Mauritius can be reached directly from Vienna and flights from Europe to the USA are possible once again. Passenger volumes at Vienna Airport in the entire year of 2021 will still be very moderate at more than ten million travellers due to the pandemic. In the entire year 2021, the total number of passengers handled by Vienna Airport will still be at a moderate level of somewhat more than ten million due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the growth trend is clearly perceptible. Even if the fourth COVID-19 wave is currently leading to increased infection rate, from today’s perspective we expect, in any case, a considerable upswing in passenger volumes when the 2022 Summer flight schedule is in effect.”
