FRANKFURT: Fraport is in talks to bring more budget flights by carriers such as Ryanair, Easyjet or Lufthansa’s Eurowings to Frankfurt airport, the chief executive of operator Fraport said.
Low-cost carriers in the past focused on flights to and from regional airports such as London Stansted or Cologne/Bonn where it was cheaper to operate, but they have been increasingly moving to major hubs to be closer to densely-populated metropolitan areas and legacy carriers’ long-haul routes.
“We have been very restrained in that (low-cost) area for a long time. But in the long run we won’t be able to escape it,” Fraport’s CEO Stefan Schulte said in an interview.
“I expect that we will be able to present initial results within the next half year.”
Only a few low-cost carriers, including Spain’s Vueling and Iceland’s Wow Air, offer flights from Frankfurt, accounting for just 4 percent of passengers. That compares with 20 to 30 percent at other major international hubs.
“That shows you what we can expect in Frankfurt in the next five to 10 years,” Schulte said.
Adding low-cost flights would ease Fraport’s dependence on Lufthansa, which accounts for more than 60 percent of passengers at Frankfurt airport, and offers an opportunity for growth as legacy airlines grapple with competition from budget carriers and airlines such as Emirates and Etihad.
Schulte would not be drawn on which low-cost carriers could come to Frankfurt but said new budget routes could be an opportunity to add under-represented destinations in Italy or eastern Europe to Frankfurt’s flight schedule.
He said he would be open to Lufthansa bringing its no-frills airline Eurowings to the hub.
“But we are just as open to other budget carriers,” he said.
Fraport may offer budget carriers financial incentives for a limited time to offer new routes from Frankfurt, Schulte said.
Frankfurt airport eyes more low-cost flights
Frankfurt airport eyes more low-cost flights
Saudi POS spending jumps 28% in final week of Jan: SAMA
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale spending climbed sharply in the final week of January, rising nearly 28 percent from the previous week as consumer outlays increased across almost all sectors.
POS transactions reached SR16 billion ($4.27 billion) in the week ending Jan. 31, up 27.8 percent week on week, according to the Saudi Central Bank. Transaction volumes rose 16.5 percent to 248.8 million, reflecting stronger retail and service activity.
Spending on jewelry saw the biggest uptick at 55.5 percent to SR613.69 million, followed by laundry services which saw a 44.4 percent increase to SR62.83 million.
Expenditure on personal care rose 29.1 percent, while outlays on books and stationery increased 5.1 percent. Hotel spending climbed 7.4 percent to SR377.1 million.
Further gains were recorded across other categories. Spending in pharmacies and medical supplies rose 33.4 percent to SR259.19 million, while medical services increased 13.7 percent to SR515.44 million.
Food and beverage spending surged 38.6 percent to SR2.6 billion, accounting for the largest share of total POS value. Restaurants and cafes followed with a 20.4 percent increase to SR1.81 billion. Apparel and clothing spending rose 35.4 percent to SR1.33 billion, representing the third-largest share during the week.
The Kingdom’s key urban centers mirrored the national surge. Riyadh, which accounted for the largest share of total POS spending, saw a 22 percent rise to SR5.44 billion from SR4.46 billion the previous week. The number of transactions in the capital reached 78.6 million, up 13.8 percent week on week.
In Jeddah, transaction values increased 23.7 percent to SR2.16 billion, while Dammam reported a 22.2 percent rise to SR783.06 million.
POS data, tracked weekly by SAMA, provides an indicator of consumer spending trends and the ongoing growth of digital payments in Saudi Arabia.
The data also highlights the expanding reach of POS infrastructure, extending beyond major retail hubs to smaller cities and service sectors, supporting broader digital inclusion initiatives.
The growth of digital payment technologies aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, promoting electronic transactions and contributing to the Kingdom’s broader digital economy.
