Erfurt (dpa/th) - Thuringia's only international airport in Erfurt has so far got through the summer without staff shortages and handling stress. So far, around 62,400 passengers have been handled during the summer flight schedule, three times as many as in the same period last year, which was heavily influenced by the corona pandemic, as the airport in Erfurt announced on Tuesday. The offered summer flight destinations Antalya, Mallorca, Crete, Rhodes, Bulgaria and Hurghada are well booked. In addition, there would be special flights from individual tour operators.
The handling of the passengers runs "very reliably and without irregularities and waiting times", according to the airport GmbH. "Since we kept our airport team together during the crisis and employed them elsewhere, we can now offer our passengers and partners smooth airport operations," explained Managing Director Gerd Stöwer. Among other things, new aircraft that could not be delivered during the pandemic were parked in Erfurt. After two difficult Corona years, Stöwer sees the tourism business on the up.
Destinations in the 2022/23 winter flight schedule include Antalya, Gran Canaria and Hurghada. A Weimar tour operator also offers trips to Rome, Lapland and the Arctic Circle.
However, in the coming weeks there will be fewer departures from the holiday airline Corendon, which has restricted its program nationwide. For example, she will only fly to the Greek island of Rhodes from Erfurt once a week after August 23.
According to a spokesman, the airport expects a total of around 135,000 passengers this year - 80 to 90 percent more than in 2021. The majority shareholder in the airport is the state of Thuringia.
