A profit of €13.5 million in 2025.
Traffic remains at a high level despite challenges.
Investments in the quality of the airport and passenger comfort.
Well in the black: Cologne Bonn Airport has once again closed the 2025 financial year with a profit and achieved a significant surplus for the fourth consecutive year. With a net profit of €13.5 million, the company has once again held its own in an increasingly challenging market environment. In the year marking the airport operator’s 75th anniversary, the airport has thus continued its successful development.
“Four consecutive years of profit show that the whole team’s great commitment is bearing fruit and that our business model works even under challenging conditions,” says Thilo Schmid, Chairman of the Management Board of Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH. “We are focusing on the key pillars of passenger traffic and the cargo business and are developing our site in a targeted manner. This is already particularly evident in the terminals, in our modern food and beverage offering or the new security checkpoint.” Schmid adds: “Over the past four years, we have invested around 180 million euros in improving the quality of the site and have significantly enhanced the airport’s appeal once again.” In the next five years alone, a further 400 million euros is set to be invested in infrastructure. “At the same time, however, it is clear that in order to continue to operate successfully and fulfil our role as a mobility hub with the best connections to the whole world, we need lower location costs in Germany and thus competitive framework conditions,” says Thilo Schmid. The once again very positive annual result underlines the airport’s economic robustness: revenue rose by more than 80 million to 444.2 million euros – particularly as a result of taking over passenger screening at the start of the year – and was significantly higher than in the previous year (2024: 363.8 million euros). Despite a decline in EBITDA to €57.4 million (2024: €66.9 million) due to planned wage increases and the difficult competitive conditions in the German aviation market, the airport closed the year with a surplus of €13.5 million (2024: €12.7 million).
“Based on our financial performance, we can actively shape our airport and invest in products and processes,” says Chief Operating Officer Cenk Özöztürk. “A prime example of this is the new security checkpoint, which is a key component in enhancing travel comfort and streamlining operations. At the same time, we are driving forward digitalisation in the terminals with new services and are also relying even more heavily on technical innovations in aircraft handling, for example in the digital control of flight operations or the use of robotics in the baggage handling system.”
Airport exceeds 10 million passenger mark once again
In 2025, the airport once again confirmed its central importance for the economy and tourism in terms of passenger traffic: with 10.1 million passengers, the ten-million mark was exceeded once again (2024: 10.0 million). Trips to tourist destinations such as Spain, Turkey and Greece were particularly in demand. Visits to family and friends abroad also boosted passenger numbers.
This growth was tempered by declining domestic German traffic and persistently difficult competitive conditions. “The high costs of operating in Germany, as well as current geopolitical crises and conflicts affecting international air traffic as a whole, remain particularly challenging. Nevertheless, we have set ourselves the goal of exceeding the 10-million-passenger mark again this year,” says Thilo Schmid. To this end, the airport is systematically expanding its tourist route network: in the current summer timetable, 26 airlines connect Cologne/Bonn with 115 destinations in 38 countries; twelve destinations are new additions, including further capital city connections such as Belgrade, Tbilisi and Bucharest.
In the cargo business, the airport confirmed its position last year as one of the most important hubs in Germany and Europe: with around 840,000 tonnes of air cargo, volumes in 2025 remained stable at the previous year’s level. “We are a reliable partner for industry and trade, and for companies across the region that rely on fast and efficient logistics chains. We thus fulfil a key function for the economy in North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Schmid.
Security checks, catering & more: terminals with a new design
At the same time, the airport is driving forward improvements in travel comfort and the quality of the passenger experience. A key project is the refurbishment of the security check area, which will be fully converted to the latest CT technology by the summer and will rank among the most modern facilities in Europe. “With the new security checkpoint, we are creating a more pleasant travel experience for our guests,” says Cenk Özöztürk, noting that liquids and electronic devices can remain in hand luggage and that several passengers can place their luggage on the conveyor belt at the same time. From next week, more than half of the 11 new CT screening lanes will be in operation. “Many passengers are already benefiting from the new procedures, and it is clear how well the highest security standards, efficiency and comfort can be combined,” says Özöztürk. The improved quality of the passenger experience is also evident in a colourful “Kids Lane” for families at the security checkpoint, modern furniture in the waiting areas, a new photo spot featuring a cathedral design, and the diverse catering concept.
In addition, the expansion of climate-friendly infrastructure is progressing: a new multi-storey car park for staff, currently under construction, will be equipped with around 60 new electric charging points in the first phase of development. More than 30 million euros are currently being invested in, among other things, the further electrification of the aprons and the expansion of charging infrastructure on the airside of the airport; around 10 million euros of this is funded by the European Union. The construction of a new wood-fired heating plant, which will supply the airport with heat produced in a climate-friendly manner, is already nearing completion.
