Tourexpi
For
the third consecutive year, Istanbul Airport has maintained its position as
Europe’s busiest air hub, averaging 1,401 daily flights in 2024, according to
Eurocontrol’s data released on Thursday.
The
Turkish hub continued to lead the continent’s aviation recovery, underscoring
its significance in the region’s air traffic network with a 2% year-on-year
hike in the figure.
Amsterdam
Schiphol Airport climbed to second place with 1,336 daily flights, surpassing
London Heathrow, which came third with 1,302 daily flights. Paris Charles de
Gaulle and Frankfurt rounded out the top five, handling 1,275 and 1,204 daily
flights, respectively.
Rome
Fiumicino ranked ninth and enjoyed the largest traffic hike among Europe’s top
10 airports, with an 18% rise in flights compared to 2023.
Meanwhile,
Barcelona and Rome both reached pre-pandemic traffic levels, with Barcelona
setting a new single-day record of 1,173 flights on June 21, 2024.
European
air traffic recovery
In
2024, European air traffic reached 10.7 million flights, climbing 5% from the
previous year but making 96% of 2019 levels.
The
recovery varied across regions. Southern European countries exceeded
pre-COVID-19 traffic levels, driven by strong demand for tourism and shifting
airline route patterns.
Northern
and Northeastern European countries, on the other hand, struggled to recover
due to airspace closures, flight bans, and reduced demand.
The
UK led Europe last year with the highest average number of daily flights (5,488
per day), a 4% rise compared to the previous year.
Spain
ranked second with 4,984 daily flights (up 8%), followed by Germany at 4,711
daily flights (up 4%).
Italy
showed the most significant growth among the top 10, with a 9% increase in
flights, driven by strong connections with Spain (up 13%), Germany (up 7%), and
Poland (up 25%). Its domestic traffic also grew by 3%.
Four
countries in the top 10 surpassed their 2019 traffic levels, including Greece
(+18%), Türkiye (+12%), Spain (+8%), and Italy (+6%).
However,
some states, including Germany (-16%) and Switzerland (-2%), have yet to fully
recover, with Germany facing reduced internal demand and a shift to alternative
travel modes like rail.
Ukraine's
airspace has remained closed since February 2022, with neighboring airspaces
taking on increased traffic to compensate, Eurocontrol said, adding that the
ongoing conflict in Israel, which began in Oct. 2023, has disrupted various air
traffic flows, as flights are unable to traverse the affected zone.
Similarly,
geopolitical tensions have impacted air routes in Armenia, particularly
overflights, further contributing to shifts in regional traffic patterns.
Key
market trends
Low-cost
carriers continued to lead growth in 2024, with an 8% increase in activity,
closely followed by mainline carriers, which grew by 7%.
Combined,
these two segments accounted for 70% of European traffic (34% and 36%,
respectively).
Business
aviation, charter, and regional services remained steady, while cargo and
military flights saw slight declines.
Challenges
and opportunities
Despite
the growth, challenges persisted. En-route air traffic management (ATFM) delays
averaged 2.1 minutes per flight, led by growing traffic, airspace constraints,
and extreme weather events during the summer, besides staffing shortages.
On
a brighter note, jet fuel prices averaged $2.39 per gallon, 10% lower than in
2023, while air ticket prices slightly fell by 1%. Arrival punctuality improved
marginally to 72.5%, although it remained below 2019 levels.
Outlook
for 2025
Eurocontrol
forecasts a full recovery of European air traffic in 2025, with flight numbers
expected to reach or even surpass 2019 levels during some months.
Southern
Mediterranean destinations are predicted to remain popular, driven by strong
tourism flows within Europe and from northern countries.
Image
Credit: © AA
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