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The number of commercial flights in the EU remained below the pre-pandemic levels even in 2022. The most evident decreases in the number of commercial flights were recorded in January, about 34 per cent below the same time in 2019.
According to Eurostat, the European Office for Statistics, commercial flights remained below pre-pandemic levels even in the following months; 33 per cent fewer commercial flights were recorded in February 2022, March (27 per cent) and April (19 per cent), SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
The difference in the number of commercial flights was less evident for the upcoming months, which showed significant signs of recovery – falls stood between 14 and 16 per cent between May and December 2022. The closest pre-pandemic levels in terms of commercial flights were recorded in August and October – both 14 per cent below the corresponding months in 2019.
“Traffic has this year bounced back, despite the initial setback of Omicron, and the profound shock caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the unfolding economic and energy crisis in Europe. By the start of summer 2022, traffic across the network, and within Europe, had recovered to around 80-90 per cent of 2019 levels, and has remained in this band ever since – representing a huge advance on previous years,” Eurocontrol, a European aviation organisation explains.
EU countries that experienced the best recovery rates were Greece, with commercial flights that surpassed 2019 levels by one per cent. Some other countries were close to pre-pandemic levels, such as Portugal with the number of commercial flights being four per cent below 2019 levels, Luxembourg (eight per cent), and Croatia (nine per cent). On the other hand, countries that are struggling to reach pre-pandemic levels include Slovenia (-41 per cent), Czechia (-35 per cent), Finland (-33 per cent) and Sweden (-31 per cent).
As per most affected airports, the majority were German, with Frankfurt/Main recording 131,723 fewer fights than in 2019, accounting for a 33 per cent decrease. The second and third airports to follow were Munchen and Dusseldorf, with declines of 17 and 33 per cent, which account for 130,715 and 84,542 fewer flights, respectively.
Kobenhavn/Kastrup airport in Denmark and Brussels Airport, altogether with Hamburg airport recorded the highest declines, with their commercial flights dropping by 38, 45 and 38 per cent. Those account for 60,520, 55,824 and 47,014 fewer flights operated, respectively.
The remaining airports to have experienced a great loss in the number of commercial flights operated in 2022 compared to 2019 levels include Stuttgart (-25 per cent, accounting for 55,319 fewer flights), Praga/Ruzyne in Czechia (-23 per cent, -54,948 flights), Hamburg (-38 per cent, -47,014 flights), Koeln/Bonn (-32 per cent, -22,233 flights), and Hannover (-26 per cent, -19,852 flights).
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