Busy airports expected over Whitsun weekend in Germany

Passengers travelling in Germany this weekend should expect busy public transport and airports as people make the most of the long weekend.

German airports will be crowded over Whitsun weekend

The German airport association ADV has warned that passengers travelling to and from German airports should expect busy crowds this weekend.

Pfingstmontag (Whitmonday) celebrations on May 20 mean that retail shops and supermarkets in Germany will be closed for two days (May 19 and 20), while workers in Germany enjoy the last of the May Feiertage (public holidays).

The ADV estimates that more than 2,5 million people will travel via German airports over the holiday period, 5 percent more than during the same weekend in 2023. As such, airports are advising passengers to make room for public transport delays, arrive in good time before their flight departs and bring limited hand luggage.

Air passenger numbers still lower than pre-coronavirus

While millions of travellers will fly in and out of German airports this weekend, passenger numbers are yet to return to figures seen before the coronavirus pandemic.

In the first quarter of 2024, passenger traffic at Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s busiest airport, was still 15 percent lower than before the pandemic.

Since the beginning of May 2024, flying out of German airports has also become more expensive, after the government introduced the Luftverkehrsabgabe. The new ticket tax rate increased the flight ticket tax from 12,73 euros to 15,53 euros per person, with hikes being passed on to passengers. 

Thumb image credit: Sussi Hj / Shutterstock.com