EU air travel tops one billion passengers

Air travel in the EU rose sharply last year. Passenger numbers climbed 8.3 per cent to 1.1 billion, according to new figures from Eurostat. It is the second time the bloc has passed the one-billion mark, after first doing so in 2019.

Every EU country saw growth compared with 2023, when the effects of the pandemic were still lingering. Hungary led the rebound with a 19.2% jump, followed by Czechia (18.9%) and Estonia (17.8%). Growth was more modest in Sweden (1.3%), Bulgaria (3.8%), France and Ireland (both 4.6%). Belgium sat mid-table with a 7.5% rise.

Paris Charles de Gaulle remained the EU’s busiest airport, handling 70.3 million passengers in 2024. Amsterdam Schiphol (66.8 million) and Madrid Barajas (66.1 million) completed the top three. Brussels Airport ranked 20th with 23.6 million travellers.

Air freight also picked up, rising 8.7% to 14.3 million tonnes. Extra-EU freight drove the increase. Domestic volumes dipped. Liège Airport confirmed its role as a major cargo hub, ranking fifth in the EU and benefiting from strong trade links with China. Frankfurt stayed the bloc’s leading freight airport.

^{© BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE}