(Reuters) -Passenger traffic across the European airport network rose 4.5% in the first half compared with the same period last year, said Brussels-based European airport trade body ACI Europe on Wednesday.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:
Tourism remains key for many European economies, and the higher passenger numbers at European airports signal a resilience for the sector in the face of headwinds such as inflation and trade tariffs with the United States. In the first half of 2024, passenger traffic had risen by 9% versus the prior year, according to ACI Europe.
KEY QUOTE:
“The summer season keeps delivering for now — let’s see how the following months will be shaping up,” said ACI Europe director general Olivier Jankovec.
BY THE NUMBERS:
ACI Europe’s figures cover major European airport companies such as Aeroports de Paris, Frankfurt’s Fraport and Spanish airport operator Aena.
International passenger traffic accounted for all of the gains (+5.7%) as domestic traffic remained flat (+0.2%), according to ACI Europe.
Amongst the largest European markets, airports in Italy registered the highest increase in passenger traffic with growth of 5.7%, followed by Spain which had growth of 4.5%.
Airports in France, Britain and Germany had less strong passenger traffic growth, with 3.6% for France and 2.3% for Britain and Germany.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
