In 2023, the European Union aviation sector experienced a notable resurgence, reflected in the increase in the number of passengers. A total of 973 million people chose to travel by plane throughout this year, representing a 19.3% increase compared to 2022, when the figure was 816 million passengers. This growth is indicative of the recovery of air traffic in the region, marked by the increase in all EU member states.
Malta stood out with the highest percentage increase in passenger transport, reaching an impressive 33.3% increase. They were followed by Slovenia with 30.9% and the Czech Republic with 29.4%. On the other hand, although Estonia, Greece, and Lithuania also recorded increases, these were the most modest, at 7.9%, 9.6%, and 12.3%, respectively. These figures reveal a renewed interest in air travel, perhaps driven by improved economic conditions and growing confidence in flight safety.
However, not all the news was good for the aviation sector, as air cargo and mail transport experienced a 5.2% decrease. This decrease was uniform in domestic, intra-EU, and extra-EU flows, with declines of 4.1%, 5.0%, and 5.3%, respectively. Within this landscape, Slovakia, Estonia, and Luxembourg suffered the most pronounced decreases in cargo transport, while Spain, Malta, and Finland managed to record significant increases.
Regarding the EU’s main airports, all maintained their positions in the ranking compared to 2022, but experienced notable increases in the number of passengers. Paris/Charles de Gaulle led with 67.4 million passengers, an increase of 17.3%. Amsterdam/Schiphol, Madrid/Barajas, Frankfurt/Main, and Barcelona/El Prat also showed increases, with figures above 17%. Special mention deserves Roma/Fiumicino, which, although in sixth place, recorded the largest increase in passengers in the top 10 with 38.2%.
Coinciding with International Civil Aviation Day, Eurostat has launched an interactive tool that allows to explore in detail the main routes, number of flights, and passenger traffic both national and international in 2023. This resource aims to offer a deeper insight into the evolution of air traffic in the European Union, highlighting emerging trends and changes in travelers’ behavior.
via: MiMub in Spanish
