Transatlantic Travel Soars as European Airports Buzz with Activity
European airports saw a surge in passenger traffic in October, building on a strong recovery trend seen throughout 2024. With international travel leading the charge, the continent’s aviation sector has now surpassed pre-pandemic levels overall, according to the latest report from ACI Europe.
"October saw passenger traffic staying on the upward trajectory, continuing the positive trend we have seen throughout 2024," said Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe. "This reflects changing travel patterns and shifting seasonality, with extended demand for leisure and visits to friends and relatives beyond the traditional summer peak into the ‘shoulder season’ that precedes the off-season winter months."
The robust growth, clocking in at 5.5% year-over-year, was largely driven by a 7.1% increase in international passengers, while domestic travel remained relatively flat at -0.1%. Despite challenges like rising airfares (up an average of 30% from pre-COVID levels) and global economic uncertainty, travelers seem determined to explore the world.
“While Europe’s airport network as a whole has now exceeded pre-pandemic traffic levels, the reality remains that 45% of them still remain below such levels in October – with performance diverging widely across both national markets and the different segments of our industry,” Jankovec noted. (“The root causes are supply pressures, geopolitics and the new post-pandemic aviation market reality.”
Uneven Recovery Across the Continent
While the overall picture is positive, Europe’s recovery isn’t uniform. Some regions flourished in October.
Eastern and Southern European countries like Estonia, Hungary, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, and Finland saw double-digit growth compared to last year. Italy (+9.1%), Spain (+6.2%), Germany (+4.1%), the UK (+2.7%), and France (+2.1%) led Europe’s largest markets.
Germany, however, continues to lag behind, recording a -12.1% decline compared to October 2019. Unfavorable national aviation policies, particularly in taxation, have hindered market recovery and air connectivity growth, according to ACI Europe.
Outside the EU, airports in Albania (+47.5%), Uzbekistan (+22.2%), Kosovo (+21.5%), and Georgia (+21.8%) recorded impressive Year-on-year increases.
Conversely, geopolitical instability put a damper on growth in the Near East, with Türkiye (+2.5%) struggling due to maintenance issues with its national carrier and traffic at Israel’s airports declining by -7.2% year-on-year and -52.6% compared to October 2019. Ukrainian airports remained commercially inactive.
Major Hubs Still Powering Forward
Europe’s busiest airports continued to drive growth. London Heathrow, despite a slight increase (+3.7%), maintained its position as the continent’s top airport, closely followed by Istanbul (+3.6%) and Paris-CDG (+3.9%). Rome-Fiumicino (+15.1%), Barcelona (+8.2%), and Madrid (+5.5%) airports showed strong momentum, highlighting global travelers’ enduring appetite for major European destinations.
Frankfurt Airport posted a modest growth (+0.3%), reflecting persistent headwinds within the German aviation market.
Bron: Moodie Davitt Report
