The Austrian aviation industry looks back on a successful 2025 financial year, characterized by a steady recovery and some record figures. As the Austrian Airports Association (AÖV) announced in its latest annual report, the country’s six commercial airports – Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz, Linz, and Klagenfurt – handled a total of approximately 36,5 million passengers. This represents an increase of 2,75 percent compared to the previous year.
Air freight, considered a key indicator of economic activity, also saw a significant increase of around three percent to over 390.000 tons. Despite this positive development, operators face structural challenges. While the major hubs of Vienna and Salzburg have consolidated their positions, industry experts point out that the total number of flight movements still lags considerably behind pre-pandemic levels. Furthermore, the national air passenger duty is increasingly coming into focus in the political debate, with industry representatives criticizing it as putting Austria at a competitive disadvantage compared to international hubs.
Aviation as an economic factor: Value creation and labor market effects
The importance of aviation for Austria’s economy can be impressively demonstrated with figures. According to current analyses by the Austrian Association of Aviation Companies (AÖV), the sector generates an annual added value of €25,1 billion, both directly and indirectly. This corresponds to approximately 4,9 percent of Austria’s gross domestic product. Its function as a massive engine of employment is particularly noteworthy: over 241.500 jobs nationwide depend on the air transport industry. Julian Jäger, CEO of Vienna Airport and Vice President of the AÖV, emphasizes in this context that airports, as infrastructure hubs, are indispensable for industry and tourism.
Besides passenger transport, air freight plays a crucial role in ensuring the security of supply and exports for the Austrian economy. With 390.435 tons handled in 2025, freight volume has proven to be a resilient pillar of the economy. High-value industrial goods and time-critical deliveries for the mechanical engineering and pharmaceutical sectors, in particular, are processed through Austrian hubs. The three percent growth underscores the attractiveness of Austria’s logistics centers in international trade.
Dynamics at regional airports: Linz and Klagenfurt as growth winners
A closer look at the individual airports reveals a two-tiered development. While Vienna Airport, with over 32,5 million passengers and a growth of 2,65 percent, forms the backbone of Austrian air traffic, the smaller regional airports in particular showed tremendous relative growth. Linz Airport recorded a jump of over 45 percent to around 262.000 passengers. The year was similarly positive for Klagenfurt Airport, which generated an increase of 27,2 percent to around 175.000 passengers.
These high growth rates are primarily due to the resumption of important scheduled services and an increased charter offering. Norbert Draskovits, President of the Austrian Transport Association (AÖV) and Managing Director of Linz Airport, sees these figures as confirmation of the importance of regional connections. Nevertheless, much remains to be done to fully utilize the capacities of previous years. A key objective for the coming months is the expansion of strategic routes, such as the connection between Linz and the international hub of Frankfurt, to further improve accessibility for business travelers.
Challenges in flight operations and competitive pressure
Despite rising passenger numbers, the operating results remain subdued compared to the reference year 2019. While the number of takeoffs and landings in 2025, at 279.697 movements, was around three percent higher than the previous year, it still lags 12,58 percent below pre-crisis levels. The industry attributes this to several factors: Firstly, airlines are increasingly relying on larger aircraft types with higher load factors; secondly, travel behavior in the short-haul business travel segment has been permanently altered by digital alternatives.
A major point of criticism from airport operators remains the national air passenger duty. In international comparison, particularly with locations in Eastern Europe or the Middle East, the Austrian Airports Association (AÖV) sees this as putting Austria at a disadvantage. The duty increases cost pressure on airlines, which in turn reduces the attractiveness of Vienna and the regional airports for new routes. Industry representatives are therefore calling for a significant reduction or complete abolition of this tax by 2026 in order to secure long-term competitiveness and strengthen Austria’s position as an aviation hub.
Outlook for 2026: Infrastructure and location policy
For the current year, 2026, experts expect the growth trend to continue, provided the economic environment remains stable. Airports are investing heavily in modernizing their infrastructure to increase the efficiency of their handling processes. In Vienna, the focus is on further expanding terminal capacity, while regional airports are pushing ahead with making their operational services more flexible.
Close cooperation within the Austrian Aviation Association (AÖV) and exchanges with international partner associations in Germany and Switzerland are also intended to help jointly address regulatory hurdles at the European level. The industry’s central message remains clear: aviation is not an isolated transport system, but an integral component of Austria’s overall infrastructure, whose performance is directly linked to the country’s prosperity and international relevance. The positive results from 2025 thus serve as a solid basis for future strategic decisions in national transport policy.