The report paints an encouraging picture of the aviation sector’s recovery, indicating that the number of air passengers is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels.
Specifically, in June 2023, there were only around 4% fewer air travellers compared to June 2019. When compared to the same month in 2022, the number of passengers has even surged by 12.7%.
Olivier Jankovec, Director of the ACI, attributes this resurgence to the fact that people value travelling more than ever before, especially in the context of reuniting with friends and family residing abroad. However, it is worth noting that the recovery trajectory varies across different airports, with some experiencing only half as many flights as they did before the pandemic.
Iceland emerged as the top-performing country, boasting a 16.2% increase in passenger numbers, followed closely by Croatia (15.7%) and Greece (14.8%). Luxembourg shares fourth place with Portugal, both experiencing a 10.5% rise in passenger figures. Conversely, Finland finds itself on the other end of the spectrum, recording a substantial decline of 31%.
London Heathrow continues to dominate as Europe’s most-landed airport, followed by Istanbul, Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. However, among these major airports, only Istanbul has managed to surpass its pre-pandemic passenger numbers.
