Frankfurt, June 14, 2022, SPA -- The German aviation sector is fast catching up to pre-pandemic levels, the dpa cited new figures released on Tuesday. Passenger traffic at the biggest airport in Germany increased significantly in May to hit the highest level since the coronavirus pandemic erupted. Frankfurt Airport counted almost 4.6 million passengers last month, around 600,000 more than in April, operator Fraport said on Tuesday, noting a strong uptick in leisure travellers. That was more than three-and-a-half times as many passengers as a year earlier, but still 26% fewer than before the pandemic in May 2019. The increased demand comes amid staff shortages. The aviation industry, including Fraport, cut thousands of jobs during the pandemic and are now struggling to find workers. According to the German air traffic control service DFS, the rise in the number of flights nationwide has been particularly significant. "We are at around 90% of the traffic of 2019. At peak times, our operators are already overseeing more flights than before the coronavirus crisis," said a DFS spokesperson. --SPA 13:24 LOCAL TIME 10:24 GMT 0011 www.spa.gov.sa/w1746165