Passenger numbers at European airports fell 0.7 per cent year-on-year in April, marking the first decline since airport traffic started rebounding from the pandemic in April 2021.
According to European airport association ACI Europe, passenger traffic in the ‘non-EU market’ (including countries like Albania, Turkey, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine) fell by 7.6 per cent, while air passenger numbers in the ‘EU+ market’ (EU, EEA, Switzerland and the UK) rose by 0.6 per cent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, airports in the EU alone saw passenger traffic increase by 1.4 per cent compared to the same period last year.
ACI Europe said April’s performance “reflects a combination of factors” including the conflict in the Middle East, the partial shift of Easter holidays into March and industrial action affecting the German market.
Olivier Jankovec, ACI Europe director general, said: “April marks a clear inflection point for European air traffic. While we were already seeing a normalisation of passenger traffic growth after the strong post-pandemic bounce back, geopolitical instability – most notably the war in the Middle East – is now further weighing on growth and exposing significant differences in performance across markets.
Airports that suffered the biggest declines included Israel (-73.4 per cent), Turkey (-5.1 per cent) and Azerbaijan (-12.9 per cent). Meanwhile, those will the biggest gains included Slovakia (+125.2 per cent), North Macedonia (+30.6 per cent), Albania (+25.3 per cent) and Moldova (+24.6 per cent).
Among Europe’s largest markets, airports in Spain (+3.7 per cent) and Italy (+2.2 per cent) posted the best results, while those in Germany (-8.5 per cent), the UK (-2.1 per cent) and France (-0.9 per cent) saw passenger volumes receding.
Traffic at Istanbul Airport (-6.8 per cent) and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (-3.4 per cent) – usually top performers – both contracted in April, while volumes also declined at London Gatwick (-8.8 per cent) and London-Heathrow (-5.34 per cent). Meanwhile, Rome Fiumicino (-0.6 per cent) and Paris CDG (0.0 per cent) were essentially flat.
“The encouraging news is that demand generally remains strong, airlines capacity adjustments limited and fears over potential jet fuel shortages have eased,” Jankovec added. However, he stressed disruptions and delays linked to the Schengen Entry/Exit System remain an “immediate concern”.
“Unless authorities are allowed to introduce greater flexibility, including fully suspending the system where operationally necessary, disruptions for passengers will intensify over the coming weeks and months,” he warned.
“For many airports and airlines, the situation risks becoming unsustainable. It is puzzling that at EU level nobody seems to really care about that, and the massive damage this is inflicting upon Europe’s reputation as a welcoming and efficient destination.”