Dresden fights: Airport in the crisis - what kind of future?

Dresden fights: Airport in the crisis - what kind of future?

The location at Dresden Airport is increasingly tense. After the number of passengers dropped by 5.1 % in 2023, the future of the airport looks more than unsafe. In comparison, Leipzig/Halle Airport has had an increase of 4.7 % to around 2.2 million passengers. This can be seen from a report by Thueningen24

In the current summer flight schedule, Leipzig/Halle has the front and operates significantly more travel destinations than Dresden with 29 destinations in 13 countries, which only offers 14 destinations in 7 countries. The CEO of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG (MFAG), Götz Ahmelmann, underlines the need for clever investments in Dresden. At the same time, however, incisions are announced: around 250 administrative offices are to be dismantled by 2026, while Saxony-Anhalt is planning to withdraw from the financial support of the airport from 2027.

financial challenges in Dresden

The financial withdrawal Saxony-Anhalt could have massive effects on the airport. Finance Minister Michael Richter (CDU) has made it clear that the country is no longer willing to bear losses. In this tense situation, the city of Dresden, as a co -partner, is more responsible than ever. The Free State of Saxony, on the other hand, has assured support of 100 million euros by 2026.

The nasty decline in passenger numbers is not the only factor. If you look at the inner-German transport connections, it is around 50 % nationwide below the level in front of Corona pandemic. A rethink is required, as Thomas Löser criticized the Greens. It advocates an alternative use of the site, for example for conferences or businesses.

A look at the Central German airports

In the overall view of the Central German airports, a slight increase in passengers by 1.7 % compared to the previous year, reports aerointernational.de . For Leipzig/Halle Airport, it is clear that the popularity of travel destinations such as Turkey, Spain and Egypt is unbroken. In contrast, Dresden continues to record a decline in passenger numbers and does not manage to cross the 1 million mark, with only 882,424 passengers last year.

The traffic figures are not only limited to passenger transport. The air freight volume at Leipzig/Halle Airport remains stable with around 1.4 million tons and positions itself as the largest DHL hub worldwide and as the fifth largest air freight center in Europe.

An important aspect of the current situation is that the recovery rate, measured by the pre-pandemic level, is not yet convincing in Germany. In May 2025, passenger volume at German airports only increased by 1.0 % compared to the previous year and is 84.2 %. This suggests that Germany is fighting internationally with a negative recovery rate in air traffic, such as Adv.aero

Will the turning point for Dresden in 2027? The pressure on those responsible is growing to develop sustainable concepts in order to prevent Dresden from drifting from the international aviation.