The number of flights operated in Europe has risen to 90 per cent of pre-Covid levels as airlines continue rebuilding their capacities this summer.
Figures from European air traffic management body Eurocontrol show that total flights in April reached 90 per cent of 2019 levels and rose further to 92 per cent for the week from 26 April to 2 May, which was a 7 per cent rise on the same week in 2022.
The recovery in European flights had been hovering between 86 per cent and 88 per cent from September 2022 to March 2023, before breaking through the 90 per cent mark last month as airlines launched their expanded summer schedules.
The UK continues to be Europe’s leading aviation market with average daily flights of 5,311, followed by Spain (4,798 services), Germany (4,677) and France (4,011).
Most of the top European markets continue to lag 2019’s flight numbers – out of the top 10 countries, only Turkey, Norway and Portugal are operating more flights now than pre-pandemic.
Germany continues to lag major European competitors in its aviation recovery with nearly 20 per cent fewer flights than four years ago.
Low-cost carriers are leading the recovery in flights, particularly Ryanair which is operating nearly twice as many flights (3,014 per day) as its nearest competitor – EasyJet at 1,561 average daily services.
SAS Group (+33 per cent), Wizz Air (+27 per cent) and UK regional airline Loganair (+25 per cent) are the carriers to see the highest increases in services compared with 2019 figures.
Punctuality rates continue to be affected by industrial action, particularly by air traffic controllers in France, with only 67.3 per cent flights in Europe taking off on time last week – this is a reduction of 5.3 percentage points on 2022’s punctuality level and also down 5.5 points on the same week in 2019.
Eurocontrol also noted a continuing fall in the price of jet fuel in Europe, which has now dropped by 21 per cent compared to the beginning of the year. Average jet fuel was at $2.25 per gallon on 28 April. The price of aviation fuel has been falling since June 2022 when it was at $4 per gallon.