Airports across Europe witness a noticeable decrease in strong air currents, replacing them with gentle breezes.
In the first quarter of 2025, European airports witnessed a surge in economic performance, with passenger traffic rising by 4.3% compared to the same period in 2024. This growth was primarily driven by international traffic, while domestic traffic remained stagnant.
The highest growth was observed in airports located in Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Malta, and Lithuania. Conversely, Iceland, Sweden, and Ireland experienced a decrease, while Germany and Austria each saw a 1.1% increase. Switzerland and the UK only saw marginal growth.
Notably, airports outside the EU also demonstrated a 5.7% increase in passenger traffic in Q1 2025 compared to the same period last year. However, monthly growth has slowed, with a 6.9% increase in January, 3.4% in February, and 3.0% in March.
Rome-Fiumicino and Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen led the growth among major hubs, with increases of 9.4% and 9.0% respectively. Airports with between ten and 25 million passengers, such as Tel Aviv, Krakow, Budapest, Alicante, and Valencia, also saw significant growth.
However, not all countries fared equally well. Passenger traffic remained stagnant in Turkey, while it continued to decline in Russia. Small airports with less than one million passengers experienced a 13.4% increase in Q1 2025 but are still 34.5% below their pre-pandemic volume.
One notable exception was London-Heathrow, which was affected by a major power outage in March, resulting in a decrease of 1.5% in passenger numbers.
The growth in passenger traffic mirrors broader economic growth forecasts of around 1.1% for Germany and positive trends in the transport and tourism sectors, which significantly influence airport revenues and investments.
However, Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe, has expressed concerns about the future due to macroeconomic uncertainty and potential focus on profit instead of capacity expansion by airlines. Journalist Astrid Røben, who has covered airlines, airports, and travel stories for over 20 years and authored several books related to aviation and travel, shares similar sentiments.
As the world continues to recover from the pandemic, the aviation industry will undoubtedly face challenges and opportunities. The growth in passenger traffic in Q1 2025 is a positive sign, but the future remains uncertain.
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