Frankfurt Airport traffic drops 11% in April after Lufthansa strikes

Passenger traffic at Frankfurt Airport fell sharply in April after a series of labor strikes at Lufthansa disrupted flights, airport operator Fraport said Friday.

“Some 4.8 million passengers traveled via Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in April 2026, an 11.0% decrease compared to the same month last year,” the company said in a monthly traffic update.

Fraport said the fall was “primarily attributable to strikes at Lufthansa,” led by pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit and the UFO union representing cabin crews.

The strikes lasted a total of six days and directly affected approximately 500,000 passengers, according to the company’s report.

Fraport said the disruption went beyond passenger queues and cancellations. Cargo volumes — including airfreight and airmail — slipped 0.6% in April, as strikes at Lufthansa Cargo and reduced freight capacity on passenger flights disrupted shipments.

Across the group, the total number of passengers at airports actively managed by Fraport dropped 6.2% to approximately 12.2 million in April.