Passenger numbers at the six main airports in North Rhine-Westphalia increased in the third quarter of 2025, confirming the ongoing recovery of air traffic in the German state. From July to September 2025, around 6.2 million departing passengers were recorded, an increase of roughly 260,000 travelers, or 4.3%, compared with the same period in 2024.
The largest airports, Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn, remained the main contributors in absolute passenger volumes. Both platforms continue to rebuild their networks after the Covid-19 crisis, with international routes driving growth, while domestic German traffic is still lagging behind pre‑pandemic levels.
Dortmund Airport posted the strongest percentage growth among the six airports in the state, underlining its profile as a fast‑growing point‑to‑point and low‑cost oriented gateway. Other airports in North Rhine-Westphalia are also benefiting from the steady increase in international leisure, visiting-friends-and-relatives and feeder traffic.
The new data for the third quarter follow a similar trend observed in the second quarter of 2025, when 5.4 million passengers and a 3.8% year-on-year increase were reported. The figures confirm a gradual, multi-quarter upward trajectory for air traffic in North Rhine-Westphalia, even though total volumes at several airports have not yet fully returned to 2019 levels.