European Industry group, Airport Council International, reported the region has seen the slowest passenger growth in five years during 2019.
The industry body which represents over 500 airports in 46 European countries attributed this to a combination of strong fall in demand from in the non-EU market, the multiple airline bankruptcies over the lasts 12 months and capacity restraint within the EU.
Despite growth being the slowest for half a decade, 2019 still saw a record number of 2.43 billion passengers pass through European airports in 2019, with passenger traffic up by 32.3% since 2014. However, this 3.2% increase was half the growth rate recorded for 2018.
According to the ACI, growth was concentrated among the five largest European airports (1.8%), with smaller regional airports seeing average increases of just 0.3%.
Freight traffic fell by 1.9% in 2019, which the industry body said was mainly due to falls in activity in EU airports and represented the worst figures since 2012.
Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE said that 2019 was a pivotal year for the European aviation sector, and that while volumes overall were still up the slowdown in the pace of increase was a function of both supply and demand pressures.
However, the director general said that some of the supply side issues may ease in the near despite uncertain trading conditions, even if many airports were planning on lower growth continuing.
“Some of the supply side pressures might start easing, especially if the 737 MAX is finally approved to fly again and if the recent decrease in oil prices is not reversed. However, there are for now few if any signals that airlines may be considering more capacity expansion – and further airline consolidation remains an ongoing reality.”
Jankovec pointed to the coronavirus as the major uncertainty with regard to future demand and that while traffic demand had so far been limited to airports with strong direct air services to China – the ACI estimate the top 10 EU/UK airports would see only a 1.2% drop in traffic in February due to the contagion – this could change.
“But as wider economic consequences start kicking-in in China and potentially beyond, the impact on air traffic could become more widespread and significant for Europe’ airports.”
The biggest increases in passenger traffic performance at capital & larger non-EU airports came from Kyiv-Boryspil (+21.1%), Tirana (+13.3%), Antalya (+12.8%), Minsk (+12.5%), Yerevan (+12.3%), Moscow-Vnukovo (+11.7%), Pristina (+9.6%), Skopje & Sarajevo (+9.3%) and Belgrade (+9.2%).