Friday, October 4, 2024 The European airline and travel industries have demonstrated remarkable resilience, with passenger traffic at European airports reaching more than 2 50 million in August 2024 , according to data from the Airports Council International (ACI) Europe. This marked a 5.6% increase compared to August 2023 and a 2.
3% rise above the pre-pandemic levels recorded in August 2019. The growth in air travel, especially during the summer peak, reflects the continued recovery of the tourism industry despite facing multiple challenges, including geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainties, and operational bottlenecks. The month of August has always been a peak travel period in Europe, but this year’s numbers exceeded expectations.
ACI Europe reported that European airports collectively handled 251.5 million passengers during the month, a significant milestone given the turbulence the travel industry has experienced over the past few years. The rise in passenger traffic was driven largely by international travel, which grew by 7.
1% year-over-year. Domestic travel, on the other hand, saw a slight decline of 0.2%, highlighting structural shifts in demand.
Despite these gains, some European markets have yet to fully recover from the pandemic’s effects. Airports in the UK (-0.4%) and France (-0.
9%) nearly achieved pre-pandemic numbers, with Heathrow Airport continuing to lead as Europe’s busiest airport, followed by Istanbul, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schip.