War hits Frankfurt traffic

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Frankfurt airport authority Fraport has blamed the war in Iraq for a decline in passenger traffic at the crucial German hub in March

The airport welcomed 3.8m passengers last month, 5.3% fewer than in March 2002. Destinations in south-east Europe, North Africa and the Middle East were worst affected, while traffic to Asia/Pacific also declined. Alongside the Iraq war, Fraport also pointed to Germany's weak economy and the outbreak of the SARS virus to explain the decrease in passenger numbers.

To counter the travel downturn, Fraport is implementing cost-cutting measures such as reducing overtime and curbing the use of external staff.

In contrast to the fall in passengers, cargo traffic and aircraft movements at Frankfurt continued to grow in March.