The pandemic situation will still limit demand in the coming winter months, ADV boss Ralph Beisel explained on Tuesday, according to a statement.

However, he said he was convinced that demand from private and business travellers would pick up strongly as soon as the travel restrictions were lifted.

For 2022, the association forecasts just under 180 million passengers after fewer than 80 million in the current year. The pre-crisis level of 248 million passengers from 2019 will thus be missed by some 28 per cent.

Many airports are in a situation where their existence is threatened because of the slump, the association warned. Pre-crisis levels would probably not be reached before 2025.

The picture is quite different for air freight, which has again increased significantly in the current year, also due to the disrupted processes in sea transport.

Up to and including November, the volume of cargo handled at German airports has grown by 18 per cent compared to the previous year. ADV expects another 5 per cent to be added in 2022.