Fraport constructs new Sky Line Station at Terminal 1C. Replacement buses between Terminals 1 and 2 in Service from July 11 to August 5. Enhanced comfort for Transfer Passengers from 2017.
The Sky Line automated people mover, connecting Terminals 1 and 2 at Frankfurt Airport, will operate with restricted service from July 11 until August 5, due to construction. From Monday to Friday during this period, as well as on the weekend on July 30-31, the Sky Line will only operate between the A/Z and B/C stations in Terminal 1 and will not stop at Terminal 2. To ensure transportation for passengers between Terminals 1 and 2 both in the public/pre-security area and the transit area, replacement buses will be in service, operating on a frequent schedule.
During daytime, up to 12 replacement buses will be deployed in the public/pre-security area between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. for transportation between Terminals 1 and 2 (three buses will be available during nighttime hours). They will stop in front of Terminal 1 Arrivals (parking lot P32) and in front of Terminal 2 (parking lot P17). For rail passengers, an additional bus line will be set up as a direct link between Terminal 2 and the long-distance train station (bus stop located in front of The Squaire – east exit, next to Starbucks), operating from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. For transit passengers, three to four shuttle buses will be running constantly between the two terminals (from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.) on the days with restricted service. All stops are marked with signs.
The partial suspension of the Sky Line service has become necessary as a new Sky Line station for transit passengers is currently being built in Concourse C. Construction works are carried out in the direct vicinity of the elevated track structure. During the restricted period, the facade of the station will be built at track level and platform screen doors will be installed. An overhead roof will also be attached to the facade. As a result, Sky Line operations must be suspended for nearly four weeks due to matters of safety. Construction started during the last quarter of 2015 and is scheduled to continue until mid-2017. When the new Sky Line station is in service, it will provide direct access to Concourse C, thus making it even more comfortable for guests to transfer at Frankfurt Airport.
Dennis Wildhirt, head of the Fraport department responsible for terminal services at Frankfurt Airport (including the Sky Line) said: “A highly-efficient passenger transport system, the Sky Line has proven to be a key factor in ensuring smooth operations at our hub airport. To minimize disruptions for our passengers, we will deploy several replacement buses that will operate frequently both between Terminals 1 and 2 and directly from the long-distance train station to Terminal 2 for rail passengers. We will also provide for appropriate signage in the terminals and bus stops. In addition, extra mobile staff will be available to assist passengers along the way.”
The Sky Line automated people mover has operated since 1994 and provides a fast and comfortable link between both terminals of Frankfurt Airport. Currently, there are three stops: Terminal 1 A/Z, Terminal 1 B/C, and Terminal 2. At all three stations, trains can be accessed from both the pre-security area and the transit area. The system consists of nine self-driven electric trains, each with two cars. Altogether, the shuttles cover almost 80,000 kilometers per month and transport some 800,000 people – including air passengers, meeters and greeters, airport staff, as well as visitors and shoppers.
Fraport Traffic Figures – June and First Half 2016
In June 2016, a total of 5.5 million passengers passed through Frankfurt Airport (FRA) – a drop of 4.1 percent compared to the strong June month of the previous year. Almost half a percentage point of this decline can be attributed to the approximately 230 weather and strike-related flight cancellations at FRA, affecting some 24,000 passengers in the reporting month. The traffic slowdown also had an impact on the overall number of aircraft movements (down by 2.7 percent to 41,153 takeoffs and landings), while maximum takeoff weights (MTOW) contracted by 0.9 percent to 2.6 million metric tons. In contrast, cargo volumes (airfreight + airmail) increased by 3.3 percent to 179,808 metric tons in June 2016.
In the first half of 2016, Fraport's home-base Frankfurt Airport welcomed some 28.7 million passengers, representing a slight 0.9 percent decline compared to the same period last year. The main reasons for this decline included: the disproportionate thinning-out of the flight schedule, the relatively high number of flight cancellations in the first half, and the reduction in travel bookings reflecting the overall geopolitical situation. Aircraft movements also decreased slightly by 1.0 percent to 227,187 takeoffs and landings in the January-to-June 2016 period. On the other hand, accumulated maximum takeoff weights expanded by 1.2 percent to 14.6 million metric tons. Likewise, cargo volumes (airfreight + airmail) also slightly improved in the first six months of 2016, rising by 0.7 percent year-on-year to just over 1 million metric tons.
In the first half of 2016, Fraport AG's international portfolio of airports reported partially diverging traffic results. Slovenia's Ljubljana Airport (LJU) served 598,271 passengers from January to June 2016, representing a 4.5 percent decline year-on-year (in June 2016, down by 9.2 percent to 135,757 passengers). In South America, Peru's Lima Airport (LIM) recorded double-digit growth of 11.0 percent to 8.9 million passengers in the first half (in June 2016, up by 13.0 percent to 1.5 million passengers). The Twin Star airports of Varna (VAR) and Burgas (BOJ) on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast also achieved strong growth, with both gateways serving a total of 1.2 million passengers – a surge of 24.8 percent (in June 2016, up by 23.4 percent to 779,938 passengers). Turkey's Antalya Airport (AYT) continued to experience a slowdown, with traffic dropping by 30.5 percent in the first six months of the year to 7.3 million passengers (in June 2016, down by 47.1 percent to 1.9 million passengers). Traffic at St. Petersburg Airport (LED) in Russia was also characterized by a noticeable 6.5 percent slide to 5.7 million passengers (in June 2016, down by 7.6 percent to 1.4 million passengers). In northern Germany, Hanover Airport (HAJ) also registered a slight 0.7 percent dip in traffic to 2.4 million passengers (in June 2016, down 2.9 percent to 521,676 passengers). Traffic at Xi'an Airport (XIY) in China continued to advance strongly during the first six months of the year, rising by 11.3 percent to 17.5 million passengers (in June 2016, up by 10.8 percent to 2.9 million passengers).
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