Hamburg Airport now economic catalyst of metropolitan region

17 April 2025

Airport important for tourism and industry, study finds

Hamburg Airport generates EUR 662 million in gross value added and more than 11,000 jobs in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, according to a study published on Monday (April 14, 2025) by the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI). Every euro generated at the airport is associated with EUR 1.9 in value added in the region and EUR 2.3 for concessionaires i.e., external companies, partners and tenants, the study, which focused on 2023, found. Every job at the airport secures around two jobs in the region.

Hamburg Airport guaranteeing growth and employment

"HWWI's study highlights Hamburg Airport's key role as an economic, regional catalyst," said Christian Kunsch, CEO of Hamburg Airport. In 2023, the airport operating company generated EUR 207.6 million in value added and secured an additional EUR 194.6 million in the region through indirect and induced effects. A further EUR 114.1 million from concessionaires and EUR 146 million from indirect effects go into the regional economy.

Hamburg Airport provides more than 11,000 jobs in the greater Hanseatic region. The airport operating company employed 1,742 people in 2023, and economic links created a further 1,733 jobs in the region. The concessionaires provide 4,507 jobs and secure a further 3,686 jobs in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. "Our airport remains a reliable guarantor of growth and employment - not only for us directly, but also for numerous partner companies and industries in Hamburg," says Kunsch.

Key resource for the regional economy

The study also highlighted the airport's importance for tourism, international companies and events in Hamburg. Around 1.6 million passengers generated around EUR 436 million in 2023, which benefited the hotel, catering, retail and transport sectors. "Hamburg Airport is far more than a transport hub. It is a key resource for the regional economy," said Michael Berlemann, Scientific Director of HWWI. "The multiplier effects underline the considerable networking of the airport's economic activities with other sectors in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region."
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