In HY1 2014 European airport traffic rose +5.5% with EU airports +4.5% and non-EU airports +8.7% (compared to January-June 2013).

 

ACI Europe said that the +4.5% EU airports’ increase reflects the ‘positive reflection of the return of economic growth’ of the block, while the non-EU +8.7% result also included non-EU airports such as Iceland, Israel, Norway, Russia, Switzerland and Turkey.

 

There was even freight traffic growth of +4.6% – with freight transport performance a recognized barometer of well being or otherwise for all economies. At +2.9%, ACI said that growth in aircraft movements also led to a welcome increase in airline capacity.

 

 

Olivier Jankovec, Director General, ACI EUROPE (shown here) commented: “These first half year results are not only reflecting much improved economic conditions across Europe, they are also showing demand for air transport bucking macro-economic indicators – especially in the passenger segment.

 

“This is good news for our industry, even though traffic growth is becoming more concentrated on the back of constantly evolving market dynamics and increasing airport competition.”

 

He added “Looking at the second half of 2014, there are significant uncertainties not just for the European economy, but also at [a] global level. Geopolitical risks in Europe and nearby are probably at their highest in years.

 

“All this requires a great deal of caution and keeping the same kind of traffic performance will definitely not be a given.”

 

 

ALL AIRPORT CATEGORIES IN GROWTH

Moving on to the results, the first half of the year saw airports handling more than 25m passengers a year (Group 1) up +4.8%; those with between 10m and 25m (Group 2) plus +7.8%; Group 3 with between 5m and 10m up +2.8%; and Group 4 with less than 5m up +6.1%.

 

ACI adds that the summer season has started promisingly, with passenger traffic during the month of June reporting an increase of +6.1% (EU: +5.3%; non-EU: +8.4%). However, freight growth fell to only +1.2%, while movements registered an increase of +3.4%.

 

For the month of June, airports recording the highest passenger traffic rises included (Group 1) Moscow Domodedovo (+12.8%); Istanbul (+9.5%); Antalya (+7.6%); Rome FCO (+6.8%); and Barcelona (+6.4%).

 

 

Heading up the Group 2 airports category: Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW).

 

Group 2 leaders included Istanbul SAW (+26.5%); Athens (+22.3%); Tel Aviv (+17.0%); Brussels (+15.6%); and Lisbon (+13.5%). Group 3 was led by Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (+13.6%); Porto (+11.2%); Lanzarote (+10.9%); Bucharest OTP (+10.7%); and Berlin SXF (+9.9%). Group 4 saw Kiruna (+55.1%) out in front, followed by Mykonos (+41.7%); Visby (+37.0%); Chisinau (+32.6%); and Belgrade (+28.8%).

 

This latest ACI EUROPE traffic report for June 2014 is said to include 208 airports in total, ‘representing approximately more than 88% of European air passenger traffic’. ACI Europe claims that this is ‘the only air transport traffic report’ that covers all categories of airlines operating services to and/or from airports of all sizes, catering for more than 88% of scheduled traffic in Europe.

 

TOP IMAGE: Moscow Domodedovo Airport headed up ACI EUROPE’S Group 1 airports’ growth league table, with a 12.8% increase in passenger numbers for HY1 2014 compared to the same period last year.