European airports returned to record passenger volumes in 2022 and exceeded pre-Covid volumes for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, with 2024 traffic somewhat behind at 2.5 billion passengers, a 7.4% rise from 2021 according to preliminary data from Airports Council International (ACI) Europe.1.8% (600 airports in 55 countries) of this total was higher than 2019 figures, which reflects a healthy recovery in Western Europe to Central Asia and Israel.
Most of the growth came from international passenger traffic, which grew by 8.8%, while domestic travel increased by 2.5% but remained below pre-pandemic levels.“Europe’s airports welcomed an additional 200 million passengers last year, with many surpassing their previous historic records, stated ACI Europe’s Director General Olivier Jankovec.
At the same time, he admitted that around half of European airfields had not yet caught up with pre-Covid traffic condition for the year 2024. “We are now in a multi-speed European airport market where competitive pressures just keep rising,” he added. Challenges notwithstanding, including high airfares, residual supply constraint, relatively slow GDP growth and geopolitical instability, ACI Europe is projecting 4% increase in passenger traffic this year, though this will be carefully monitored against the backdrop of global political and economic uncertainties.