European airports recorded passenger numbers above 2019 levels for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data from ACI Europe (Airports Council International for Europe).
Between January and June 2024, passenger numbers rose by 9% year-on-year, surpassing volumes for the same period in 2019, before the health crisis, by 0.4%. ACI Europe said in a statement that the sector had "turned the page" on the pandemic.
ACI Europe's data includes airports in Turkey, Israel, Russia and even Central Asia, representing 500 airports in 55 countries. Even within the European Union, augmented by Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and the UK, traffic recovered to 2019 levels in the first half of the year, according to the association.
However, the recovery is uneven across airports, ACI Europe points out. Leisure and family travel have favored airports dedicated to low-cost airlines and vacation destinations, while other hubs, oriented towards domestic or business travel, are struggling to regain their pre-crisis levels.
In June 2024, Polish airports welcomed 24.5% more passengers than in June 2019. Other countries recording notable growth were Greece (+23.9%), Malta (+19.1%), Portugal (+14.2%) and Croatia (+13.6%). By contrast, Finland (-26.4%), Slovenia (-21.5%), Bulgaria (-20.5%) and Sweden (-19.4%) remain far from a full recovery, warns ACI Europe.
Source : Air Journal
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