EU air travel tops 1 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 1 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 per cent jump, followed by Czechia (18.9 per cent) and Estonia (17.8 per cent). Growth was more modest in Sweden (1.3 per cent), Bulgaria (3.8 per cent), France and Ireland (both 4.6 per cent). Belgium sat mid-table with a 7.5 per cent 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 per cent 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 remained the bloc’s leading freight airport.
© BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE
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