Austria’s main gateway ended the year on a high note when it welcomed its 32 millionth traveller on 30 December – an all-time record that underlines the country’s post-pandemic rebound and Vienna’s growing role as a Central-European hub. The milestone passenger, arriving from Bucharest on Austrian Airlines, was greeted by city councillor Barbara Novak and airport co-CEO Julian Jäger, who highlighted the link between strong air connectivity and Vienna’s appeal for foreign investment and tourism.
For global-mobility teams the statistics matter: passenger numbers are up roughly 11 % on 2024 despite the departure of several ultra-low-cost carriers complaining about Austria’s air-transport tax. Austrian Airlines and its Star Alliance partners have filled much of the gap, adding Boston, Tbilisi and a seasonal Dubai return to the network – routes popular with corporate travellers and expatriate families. The airport is pressing the federal government to cut or restructure the €12–30 departure levy, arguing that it drives traffic to Bratislava and Munich and undermines Vienna’s ability to attract long-haul services crucial for headquarters decisions.
Meanwhile, HR departments that now need to dispatch or receive more assignees through Vienna can streamline visa formalities by partnering with VisaHQ, which offers end-to-end support for Austrian entry permits, residency paperwork and document legalisation. Full details of the service portfolio are available at https://www.visahq.com/austria/, helping companies keep mobility programmes agile as new routes come online.
![Vienna Airport celebrates record 32 millionth passenger, signals capacity boost before EES peak]()
Operationally, management admitted that the record comes with growing pains. December holiday peaks coincided with the first big stress-test of the new EES kiosks; queuing times occasionally stretched to an hour for non-EU passport holders. To cope with expected summer volumes of 35 million passengers, the airport will bring forward the opening of six extra e-gates, add 200 front-line staff and accelerate construction of its T3 southern extension – now slated for partial opening in late 2026.
From a mobility-policy perspective the passenger boom reinforces the need for coordinated air-rail solutions. Vienna Airport is expanding its ÖBB Railjet codeshare, and Star Alliance carriers can now issue through-tickets to Salzburg, Linz, Graz and Innsbruck. This offers employers a greener, tax-efficient alternative to feeder flights, which remain subject to the controversial domestic-flight surcharge.
HR travel managers should update guidance on minimum connection times at VIE (add at least 20 minutes for first-time EES users) and monitor the ongoing tax debate, as any cut to Austria’s aviation levy would likely feed quickly into lower fares on expatriate-heavy intercontinental routes.
For global-mobility teams the statistics matter: passenger numbers are up roughly 11 % on 2024 despite the departure of several ultra-low-cost carriers complaining about Austria’s air-transport tax. Austrian Airlines and its Star Alliance partners have filled much of the gap, adding Boston, Tbilisi and a seasonal Dubai return to the network – routes popular with corporate travellers and expatriate families. The airport is pressing the federal government to cut or restructure the €12–30 departure levy, arguing that it drives traffic to Bratislava and Munich and undermines Vienna’s ability to attract long-haul services crucial for headquarters decisions.
Meanwhile, HR departments that now need to dispatch or receive more assignees through Vienna can streamline visa formalities by partnering with VisaHQ, which offers end-to-end support for Austrian entry permits, residency paperwork and document legalisation. Full details of the service portfolio are available at https://www.visahq.com/austria/, helping companies keep mobility programmes agile as new routes come online.
Operationally, management admitted that the record comes with growing pains. December holiday peaks coincided with the first big stress-test of the new EES kiosks; queuing times occasionally stretched to an hour for non-EU passport holders. To cope with expected summer volumes of 35 million passengers, the airport will bring forward the opening of six extra e-gates, add 200 front-line staff and accelerate construction of its T3 southern extension – now slated for partial opening in late 2026.
From a mobility-policy perspective the passenger boom reinforces the need for coordinated air-rail solutions. Vienna Airport is expanding its ÖBB Railjet codeshare, and Star Alliance carriers can now issue through-tickets to Salzburg, Linz, Graz and Innsbruck. This offers employers a greener, tax-efficient alternative to feeder flights, which remain subject to the controversial domestic-flight surcharge.
HR travel managers should update guidance on minimum connection times at VIE (add at least 20 minutes for first-time EES users) and monitor the ongoing tax debate, as any cut to Austria’s aviation levy would likely feed quickly into lower fares on expatriate-heavy intercontinental routes.
