Memmingen Airport offers up to 235 departures per week during the summer vacation season and is seeing high passenger volume

The desire to travel remains strong. Once again, well over half a million people are expected to use Memmingen Airport as a gateway to their summer getaway during the coming vacation weeks. Southern Germany’s leading low-cost airport anticipates up to 235 departures per week and an aircraft load factor of well over 90 percent.

Growth rates have long been the norm at Memmingen Airport. Another increase in passenger numbers is expected this summer as well. While 540,000 passengers used the airport during the vacation season last year, airport officials now anticipate a further increase. “A total of 575,000 seats are available, and with a few exceptions, they’re all booked,” reports airport managing director Marcel Schütz. At the top of the flight schedule are the Albanian capital Tirana and Mallorca, with flights often operating several times a day. “This clearly demonstrates our unique mix of Eastern European connections and classic vacation destinations,” explains Schütz. While sunny destinations around the Mediterranean are being booked by local vacationers, many people are also using flights to Eastern European countries to visit friends and relatives back home. As a result, Pristina and Bucharest are also high on the list of the most popular destinations, as are Antalya and Zadar in Croatia. A total of up to 235 departures are scheduled per week.

The weekend is among the busiest travel days, not least because numerous charter flights also depart on those days. Every Saturday, for example, Freebird Airlines flies to Antalya and Aegean Airlines to Rhodes—both operating on behalf of the TUI travel group. SunExpress also offers daily flights to the Turkish vacation destination of Antalya.

Since check-in may involve waiting times—particularly due to a new regulation for flights to non-Schengen countries—airport officials recommend arriving early. “If you allow yourself two to three hours, you can arrive at the gate with plenty of time to spare and avoid unnecessary stress,” explains Marcel Schütz. His tip is to book a parking spot online in advance. He strongly advises against trying to park outside the airport grounds, especially in Memmingerberg. “That can get very expensive, because vehicles are towed in zones with restricted parking.” Traveling by train, Flixbus, and public transit is also stress-free. The new route of the Allgäu Airport Express, which has been running several times a day between Munich and the airport for years, now also connects Stuttgart and Ulm airports with Memmingen Airport.

Overall, airport management is very satisfied with how the first half of the year has gone. Steady growth is continuing at a deliberately more measured pace. Memmingen’s growth rate significantly outpaces that of the market as a whole. This year, the airport expects to handle around 3.8 million passengers (3.7 million last year). Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport has grown by about 240 percent and has firmly established itself among the top German commercial airports, ranking 10th.