On Tuesday airberlin and Düsseldorf International Airport welcomed the two millionth transfer passenger this year in Düsseldorf, capital of the state of North-Rhine Westfalia (NRW). Eva Martini, airberlin Regional Director NRW, and Christoph Blume, Spokesman of the Airport’s Management Board, greeted Gaetano Zizzo, whose flight from Milan to New York took him via Düsseldorf.
The airline hub near the Rhine is thriving as passenger numbers increase. More than ten per cent of traffic is now accounted for by transfer passengers choosing Düsseldorf for a stopover or using it as an important transit location. “The Düsseldorf hub has enjoyed excellent growth. Last year we were just short of the two-million mark for transfer passengers, but we have already managed to set a new record in 2011. That is mainly because we can offer more long-haul destinations, as well as additional and attractive short-haul and medium-haul routes,” commented a delighted Christoph Blume.
Up to and including the third quarter, airberlin carried more than 5.4 million passengers from and to Düsseldorf Airport. This corresponds to a market share of approximately 35 per cent in the regional capital. By optimising the flight structure, airberlin was able to offer new destinations and connecting flights last year, as a result of which its proportion of transfer passengers in Düsseldorf peaked at up to 20 per cent in the summer.
“Along with Berlin, Palma de Mallorca and Vienna, Düsseldorf is one of the four hubs that we are keen to shape and develop in preparation for our membership of the oneworld airline alliance,” explained Eva Martini. She continued: “Our customers from North-Rhine Westphalia are already reaping the benefits from our codeshare agreements with oneworld partners. Passengers booked on airberlin flights to the USA can now fly to the central hubs operated by our codeshare partner American Airlines, and these include Miami, Los Angeles and New York. Our partnership with Finnair has also allowed us to offer additional routes. Flights to New Delhi and Singapore via Helsinki are now available.”
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Source: airberlin
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