European airport passenger traffic tops pre-Covid level
That total was 1.8 percent above 2019 levels, said the trade group, which represents more than 600 airports in 55 countries from western Europe to Israel and Central Asia.
Growth was mostly driven by international passenger traffic, which rose 8.8 percent, while the number of domestic travellers was up 2.5 percent from the previous year and remained below pre-pandemic levels.
"Europe's airports welcomed an additional 200 million passengers last year, with many surpassing their previous historic records," said ACI Europe director general Olivier Jankovec.
"This was achieved despite much inflated air fares, continued supply pressures, mostly tepid economic growth and geopolitical tensions," he added.
He noted, however, that nearly half of Europe's airports remained below their pre-Covid traffic levels in 2024.
"We are now in a multi-speed European airport market where competitive pressures just keep rising," Jankovic said.
The association is forecasting a four-percent rise in passenger traffic this year, he said, but warned that it would have to keep it "under review, considering the overwhelming global political and economic uncertainties".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local Italy
14-07-2025
- Local Italy
EES update: Phased launch of Europe's new border system approved by MEPs
EES passport checks The European Parliament gave final approval on Tuesday to a phased rollout of a new border check system for non-EU nationals which will do away with passport stamps. The so-called Entry/Exit System (EES), was supposed to kick in last November but was delayed at the last minute as several states were not ready. First agreed on in 2017, the automated system will record visitors' date of entry and exit and keep track of overstays and refused entries. Visitors to the bloc's Schengen free movement area will also have biometric data -- facial images and fingerprints -- collected at ports of entry. "The aim is to improve security, speed up the border check process, and reduce queues," the European Parliament said. But some have raised fears that a rushed implementation could lead to longer waiting times for people travelling to Europe on trains, ferries and planes. London's mayor Sadiq Khan warned last year it could trigger "chaos" at the British capital's Eurostar cross-Channel rail hub, St Pancras station. The UK, which left the European Union in 2020, this year launched its own digital travel permit, which is mandatory for European visitors. Under the roll-out approved by European lawmakers in Strasbourg, with 572 votes in favour and 42 against, the EU scheme will be implemented over a six-month period. The exact date is to be decided by the European Commission after the law is formally adopted and enters into force. Member states would ramp up towards operating the EES system at half of border crossing points after three months and by six months countries should be registering all individuals using the system. See Also
Local Italy
06-07-2025
- Local Italy
Flights disrupted across Europe as French air traffic controllers strike
The DGAC civil aviation authority has asked airlines to cancel some of their flights to ensure there are enough controllers on duty. The strike affected air traffic across Western Europe. Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, said on Thursday it was forced to cancel 170 flights, affecting 30,000 passengers. "Once again, European families are being held hostage by French air traffic controllers," said Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary. The Airlines for Europe association, which includes Ryanair, Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways and EasyJet, described the action as "intolerable". According to sources familiar with the matter, 270 air traffic controllers out of a total workforce of around 1,400 went on strike. UNSA-ICNA, the second biggest labour group in the sector, launched the action to demand better working conditions and more staff. It was joined by the third largest union, USAC-CGT. Shortly after 10 am on Thursday, flights were experiencing significant delays, including an average of 1.5 hours for arrivals and 1 hour for departures in Nice, France's third-largest airport. A quarter of flights departing from or arriving at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly have also been cancelled. Airports in the south were particularly hit. In addition to Nice, 30 percent of flights have been cancelled in cities including Lyon, Marseille, and Montpellier. On the eve of the school holidays on Friday, the situation is expected to become even more tense at Paris airports and Beauvais, where the DGAC has ordered a 40-percent reduction in the number of flights. On Thursday morning, the Eurocontrol monitoring agency warned airlines of "significant" delays in the airspace managed by the air traffic control centres in Marseille, Brest and Reims. Sources said that business aviation, particularly in Nice and Le Bourget near Paris, has also been significantly affected. France's transport minister called the unions' demands unacceptable. "The demands made by minority unions are unacceptable, as is the decision to hold this strike at the start of the holiday season," Philippe Tabarot said on Wednesday.
Local Italy
04-07-2025
- Local Italy
EU lawmakers vote to ban airlines from charging fees for hand luggage
Passengers travelling in Europe should be able to carry on board one personal item, such as a handbag, backpack or laptop and one small hand luggage without having to pay additional fees, members of the European Parliament transport committee concluded on Tuesday. The position aims to bring into EU law a judgement made by the European Court of justice, which ruled back in 2014 that the 'carrying of hand baggage cannot be made subject to a price supplement, provided that it meets reasonable requirements in terms of its weight and dimensions and complies with applicable security requirements'. Currently many low-cost airlines allow passengers to only take one small on-board item for free and charge extra for other hand baggage. The rules vary between airlines and different countries. Tuesday's vote appears to be good news for passengers but it is not final. The change will still have to be endorsed by all MEPs in the full parliament and green lighted by European governments in the EU Council. Airlines against the move Last year the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and Consumption fined five airlines €179 million for such practices following a complaint by the Spanish consumer organisation OCU (Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios). Consumer groups also lodged a complaint with the European Commission arguing that the EU top court recognised hand luggage as 'an essential aspect of passengers' carriage,' said European consumer organisation BEUC. But airlines condemned Tuesday's vote as a limit to 'consumer choice' that will result in 'higher costs for millions of passengers who neither need nor use an extra trolley bag.' Airlines for Europe (A4E), the group representing major air carriers at the EU level, said that 'travelling light is the choice for hundreds of millions of European passengers'. In Spain, for instance, over 50 million passengers 'didn't need an additional piece of cabin baggage last year and had the choice not to have this included as part of their airfare," A4E said. A4E Managing Director Ourania Georgoutsakou said: 'What's next? Mandatory popcorn and drinks as part of your cinema ticket? The European Parliament should let travellers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don't.' The measure would apply to all flights departing or arriving within the 27-nation European Union. Children must be seated next to accompanying passengers The proposed change to hand luggage fees was part of a package of amendments to passenger rights when travelling by air, rail, sea, coach and inland waterways put forward by the European Commission in 203. The committee also voted to ensure that children under 12 years old are seated next to their accompanying passenger free of charge. People accompanying passengers with reduced mobility should also travel with them for free, and there should be compensation rights in case of loss or damage to their equipment or injury to assistance animals, MEPs said. Italian MEP Matteo Ricci, who is in charge of the file, said the new rules aim to 'protect all passengers, with special attention to persons with disabilities and reduced mobility' and clarify the definition of free hand luggage 'up to a maximum size of 100cm.' Rules for intermediaries New rules also aim to clarify the role of intermediaries, such as ticket vendors or travel agencies, in the reimbursement of air passengers for cancellations, delays or denied boarding. According to the parliament transport committee, these companies should inform passengers at the time of booking about the full cost of the air ticket, intermediation or service fees, and the reimbursement process. This should not take longer than 14 days or, past the deadline, it will be for the air carrier to process the reimbursement within 7 days. Multimodal journey In a separate vote, MEPs also backed the proposal to introduce compensation for disruptions in journeys involving at least two modes of transport, for example plane and bus, or train, ferry and plane. If a customer buys a single contract involving multiple transport modes from one operator, and a missed connection results in a delay of 60 minutes or more, the passenger should be offered meals, refreshment and a hotel stay free of charge. 'Switching between transport modes should not mean losing protection against missed connections and assistance', MEPs said. 'Our proposals are intended to strengthen passenger confidence and encourage companies to develop more attractive multimodal offers,' said German MEP Jens Gieseke, who leads on this part. Question on compensation In parallel, the European Parliament and Council are discussing a revision of compensation rules in case of flight delays or cancellations. On Tuesday, MEPs also voted in favour of a common reimbursement form in case of travel disruption, with airlines requested to send passengers the pre-filled form within 48 hours following the problem - 'or activate alternative automatic communication channels'. They also voted on a well a defined list of extraordinary circumstances, such as natural disasters or war, under which airlines can avoid having to pay compensation.
