European airport passenger traffic increased by 7pc in January 2024, with international passengers driving the growth more than domestic passengers.
Overall, passenger traffic was just 3pc below pre-pandemic levels, with international passenger volumes fully recovering for the first time in 5 years while domestic traffic lagged behind.
Airport performance varied across national markets, with some countries seeing significant growth while others experienced declines in passenger traffic.
Major airports experienced an 8.3pc increase in passenger traffic, almost reaching full recovery compared to January 2019, while medium-sized airports exceeded pre-pandemic volumes by 5pc. Small airports saw a decrease in passenger traffic and were still significantly below pre-pandemic levels. The airports with the most growth were:
- MAJORS: Istanbul +15.0pc, Madrid +9.2pc, Barcelona +7.1pc, Rome +5.2pc, Heathrow +1.3pc.
- MEGA: Athens +15.0pc, Istanbul +14.3pc, Lisbon +14.2pc, Antalya +9.7pc, Palma de Mallorca +6pc.
- LARGE: Sochi +95pc, Málaga +32.5pc, Milan Bergamo +29.5pc, Catania +24.5pc, Alicante +22.1pc.
- MEDIUM: Samarkand +210.1pc, Tirana +181.5pc, Kutaisi +171.8pc, Almaty +109.2pc, Astana +95.0pc.
- SMALL: Kramfors +144.4pc, Babimost +139.7pc, Porto Santo +88.8pc, Sitia +87.5pc, Batumi +82.7pc.
