The number of passengers travelling through European airports has increased in the first month of this year.
Several airports already surpassed 2019 levels, whereas others expect higher figures this year.
The Aena network airports in Spain, including 46 airports, welcomed over 18.6 million passengers last month, which is over ten per cent more compared to January 2023.
The highest number of travellers was recorded at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, reaching nearly 4.8 million passengers last month.
Meanwhile, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport recorded 3.5 million passengers, followed by Málaga-Costa del Sol (1.3 million), Gran Canaria (nearly 1.3 million), Tenerife Sur ( 1.2 million) Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández (958,088) and Palma de Mallorca Airport (889,815).
Each of these airports also welcomed more passengers compared to January of last year.
Meanwhile, Frankfurt Airport (FRA) handled 4.1 million passengers last month, marking an 11 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Despite this year-on-year growth, passenger traffic was 12.6 per cent lower than in January 2019.
In addition to Frankfurt Airport, other airports in Fraport’s international portfolio saw a surge in passenger traffic during this period.
Total traffic at the airports actively managed by Fraport grew by 9.5 per cent year-on-year to approximately 8.9 million passengers in January 2024.
Meanwhile, Berlin Airport (BER) welcomed about 1.48 million travellers, almost 13 per cent more than in January of the previous year.
January 7 was the busiest day of the month, with the number of passengers reaching 63,613.
1.7 million travellers passed through the Copenhagen Airport (CPH) during January 2024, representing a seven per cent year-on-year increase.
The most favourite destinations of CPH passengers during that month were London, Oslo and Stockholm.
However, the highest passenger traffic increase was recorded on routes to Asia and Middle Eastern destinations, with 47 and 36 per cent, respectively.
The Middle Eastern destinations offer lots of sun and heat for winter-weary Scandinavians, but some passengers use them as a layover en route to Asian, African and Australian destinations.
Keflavík Airport, the largest airport in Iceland, welcomed over 451,000 passengers last month. January 2nd was the busiest day of the month, with 22,611 travellers passing through the airport.
London, Copenhagen, New York, Manchester, and Paris were the most popular destinations during that period.
British and US citizens made the most of departures, with 21 and 19 per cent, respectively. German nationals were in third place, followed by Dutch and Chinese nationals.
In addition to the mentioned airports, Riga Aiport (RIX) saw increased passenger traffic in the first month of 2024. RIX welcomed 420,000 passengers, 5,000 more compared to the same period last year.
The national airline, AirBaltic, handled the most passengers (222,000), followed by the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair (132,000).
Some EU Airports Returned at Pre-Pandemic Levels
European airports have also witnessed a surge in passenger traffic throughout 2023, with some exceeding the pre-pandemic levels.
For instance, Aena Airports in Spain welcomed more than 283 million passengers last year, surpassing 2019 levels.
Copenhagen Airport handled 26.8 million passengers in 2023, marking the best year since 2019 in passenger traffic.
Meanwhile, Vienna Airport returned to 93 per cent in 2019, with 29.5 million passengers, whereas Budapest Airport reached 91 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, with 14.7 million travellers.
Although being below 2019 levels, several EU airports welcomed more passengers last year compared to 2022, and higher figures are expected this year.
