Flughafen Zürich, the owner and operator of Zurich Airport, recently announced that it anticipates a decline in consolidated profit for 2025 compared to the previous year. This cautious outlook arises primarily due to anticipated depreciation and increased interest expenses. Despite this, the company forecasts a record-breaking 32 million passengers passing through its airport this year, demonstrating robust demand for air travel. In 2024, Flughafen Zürich achieved the highest consolidated results in its history, with profits surging to 326.7 million francs, up from 304.2 million francs in the previous year.
This remarkable growth was further supported by an impressive 8% rise in EBITDA, reaching 733 million francs. The total revenue of Flughafen Zürich also witnessed a significant increase, climbing to 1.33 billion francs from 1.24 billion francs in the prior year. Both aviation and non-aviation sectors contributed positively to this revenue increase, fueled by the rise in passenger volumes.
The total number of passengers surged by 8% over the previous period, totaling 31.2 million. "The demand for air travel surged once again last year, positively influencing all our business divisions. We experienced numerous favorable developments throughout 2024," commented CEO Lukas Brosi. Despite these positive trends, Brosi acknowledged the ongoing challenges posed by bottlenecks in European airspace, geopolitical tensions, and pressures on the existing operational frameworks, stating that the environment remains challenging. In terms of shareholder returns, the board of Flughafen Zürich plans to propose a regular dividend of 4.30 francs per share and an additional dividend of 1.40 francs for 2024.
This marks an increase from the previous year's ordinary dividend of 4 francs and additional 1.30 francs. Looking ahead, Flughafen Zürich will implement a new dividend policy starting in 2025, targeting a payout ratio of 50% of net profit, with the possibility of increasing it to 75% if debt levels remain low. On a concerning note for investors, as of late Friday morning, shares of Flughafen Zürich were trading nearly 3% lower in Zurich, reflecting market reactions to the profit outlook..