2.5 billion passengers handed by way of European airports in 2024 – rising 7.4 per cent on 2023
Europe’s airports have lastly exceeded pre-Covid ranges of passenger visitors, in response to a brand new report.
Airports Council Worldwide (ACI) Europe confirmed that 2.5 billion passengers handed by way of European airports in 2024 – 7.4 per cent larger than in 2023.
In consequence, final yr’s general visitors was 1.8 per cent above pre-pandemic ranges (2019).
Nevertheless, 47 per cent of Europe’s airports are nonetheless beneath their pre-pandemic volumes.
Structural aviation market modifications and geopolitics have resulted in vital efficiency gaps throughout nationwide and particular person airport markets, ACI Europe stated.
Europe’s airports surpassed historic passenger visitors information in 2024
The expansion of Europe’s airports in 2024 was principally pushed by worldwide passenger visitors (up 8.8 per cent on 2023), the report discovered.
Home passenger visitors solely grew 2.5 per cent on 2023 – remaining 6.3 per cent beneath pre-pandemic ranges.
Visitors was extra pronounced within the first half of the yr in addition to throughout off-peak months historically related to decrease visitors.
This displays structural aviation market modifications – together with a partial shift to rail – robust cross-border mobility inside the EU Single Market, and fast-growing demand in rising markets exterior the EU, ACI Europe stated.
“Europe’s airports welcomed an extra 200 million passengers final yr, with many surpassing their earlier historic information,” stated Olivier Jankovec, Director Common of ACI Europe.
“This was achieved regardless of much-inflated airfares, continued provide pressures, principally tepid financial progress and geopolitical tensions. That clearly speaks volumes about how shoppers are actually prioritising experiences and journey specifically.”
Jankovec added that 2024 confirmed main structural post-Covid shifts, with passengers more and more travelling for leisure and visiting pals and kin, and low-cost carriers largely defining visitors efficiency.
That are Europe’s busiest airports?
The most effective-performing European airports in 2024 have been London Heathrow, Istanbul, Paris CDG, Amsterdam Schiphol and Madrid.
London Heathrow retained its place as Europe’s busiest airport in 2024, welcoming 83.9 million passengers. This represented a rise of 5.9 per cent over the earlier yr, permitting the British hub to surpass its pre-pandemic ranges by 3.7 per cent.
Airports within the EU+ market – together with in Hungary, Czechia and Estonia – noticed passenger visitors improve by 7.8 per cent in 2024 when in comparison with the earlier yr, outperforming these in the remainder of Europe.
The influence of geopolitics was extra acute in these areas, hitting airports in Israel (-33.3 per cent), Russia (-13.5 per cent) and Ukraine (no visitors).
Passenger visitors at small airports (lower than a million passengers) in 2024 grew on the slowest tempo and remained 34.5 per cent beneath their pre-pandemic volumes.
These small airports present connectivity and territorial cohesion throughout the breadth of Europe, ACI Europe stated, but structural market modifications and regulatory developments are hindering their restoration.
‘Unwell-advised aviation insurance policies’ will probably be largest problem for additional progress in 2025
“Trying on the months forward, we count on demand for air journey to stay resilient – defying fragile client confidence and customarily sluggish European economies,” Jankovec stated.
“We’re thus forecasting a 4 per cent progress in passenger visitors for 2025 – however we might want to preserve that forecast beneath evaluate, contemplating the overwhelming world political and financial uncertainties.”
The primary challenges for visitors will probably be airways’ fleet administration woes, air visitors administration capability shortages, ill-advised aviation insurance policies and geopolitics, Jankovec stated.