European air traffic has “finally” surpassed pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2024, according to ACI Europe.
Figures published today show that passenger traffic across the European airport network increased by 0.4 per cent compared to the first half of 2019.
Meanwhile, traffic grew by 9 per cent year-on-year compared to 2023.
The pace of air traffic growth has remained “very dynamic” so far this year, the European airport trade body said, with year-on-year increases of 10.2 per cent and 8 per cent in the first and second quarters of 2024, respectively.
International air traffic continued to be the main growth driver – after a 10.3 per cent increase compared to the first two quarters of 2023.
Meanwhile, domestic air traffic – while it grew year-on-year by 4.2 per cent – remained outpaced.
Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI Europe, said: “As overall passenger traffic has finally made it above 2019 levels over a full six-month period, our industry has now turned a corner on the pandemic.
“But beyond these headline figures, the European airport market has become extremely fragmented in terms of traffic performance, with only 53 per cent of airports having actually fully recovered their pre-pandemic passenger volumes in June.”
Looking ahead to third quarter results, Jankovec added: “We are in for our best summer ever in terms of passenger traffic, even though the unprecedented global IT outage earlier this month combined with recurrent air traffic management capacity shortages and aircraft delivery delays are all taking a toll on airport traffic.
“What comes next will largely depend on whether demand remains resilient and sustained when the autumn comes.”
Throughout the first six months of 2024, Europe’s top five airports – Heathrow, Istanbul, Paris CDG, Amsterdam Schiphol and Madrid – welcomed a total of 174.6 million passengers.
This represents increases of 8 per cent and 2 per cent year-on-year for 2023 and 2019, respectively.
Meanwhile the European air cargo sector witnessed growth too.
Freight traffic across the European airport network increased by 9.6 per cent and 6.2 per cent year-on-year for 2023 and 2019, respectively.
