What’s On The Horizon For: Hannover Airport

Exhibiting at Routes Europe 2024 in Aarhus, Hannover Airport (HAJ) in northern Germany spoke to Routes about its strategy to enhance long-haul connectivity and sustainability efforts.

Hannover, the capital of Niedersachsen, serves a region with more than 22 million inhabitants and boasts 24/7 operations, three runways, and unrestricted infrastructure, making it a prime location for business and leisure travel.

In the past year, HAJ has expanded its offerings, becoming a new base for Eurowings, which has added 10 direct destinations for its summer 2024 schedule. These include new routes to Faro in Portugal, Malaga in Spain, and a strong focus on Italy with flights to Rome, Catania, Naples, Bari, Olbia, and Lamezia Terme. Additional routes to Stockholm, Milan Bergamo, and Pula in Croatia will commenced in May 2024.

Speaking at Routes Europe 2024, HAJ CEO Martin Roll emphasized the airport's short-term goal of maintaining its recent growth, with a 22% increase in passenger numbers in the first quarter of the year. To achieve this, HAJ is in discussions with leisure carriers to expand its European market presence and is actively engaging with hub carriers to secure more international flights.

Looking beyond 2024, Hannover Airport aims to strengthen its intercontinental connections, particularly with Asia and the Middle East. While the airport already has a strong link to Istanbul, Roll highlighted the potential for new services to Gulf countries, which would enhance connectivity to Asia. Discussions at Routes events have also opened up promising opportunities in North America and China.

Sustainability is a core focus for HAJ, with significant investments planned to support electric and hybrid aircraft. “Sustainability is a key issue for us. Compared to the year 2000, we have already reduced our CO2 emissions by more than half, and we plan to be CO2 free by 2045,” Roll said. The airport aims to lead in next-generation aircraft technology as part of its broader sustainability goals.

Hannover Airport's presence at Routes Europe 2024, complete with engaging stand activities, underscored its ambition to raise global awareness of Hannover as a key destination. “Hannover is very attractive because of our large industrial base with many business travelers, as well as leisure and VFR traffic. We need to make it more known across the world, which is why we have this great stand this year,” Roll added.