The total number of passengers transported by air in the EU27 rose by 7.3% in 2007 compared with 2006, to 793 million. In 2006, passenger numbers in the EU27 rose by 4.7%. In 2007, the highest numbers of passengers were registered in the United Kingdom (217 mn, +3%), Germany (164 mn, +6%), Spain (164 mn, +9%), France (120 mn, +6%) and Italy (106 mn, +11%).

The number of air passengers rose in 2007 in all EU Member States. Four Member States recorded growth of above 20% compared with 2006: Romania (+41%), Latvia (+27%), Poland (+25%) and Lithuania (+22%). The lowest growth rates were reported in Luxembourg (+2%), the United Kingdom (+3%), the Netherlands, Hungary and Cyprus (all +4%), Malta rose by 10.1%.

Of the total number of passengers transported by air, 22% (176 mn) were carried on national flights, 44% (346 mn) on intra-EU27 flights and 34% (271 mn) on extra-EU27 flights.

These figures are published in a report3 from Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, on air transport in the EU27 in 2007. This report also looks in detail at national, intra-EU and extra-EU air transport passengers, as well as the most important airport pairs, nationally and internationally.

London/Heathrow busiest passenger airport

London/Heathrow is still the EU’s busiest passenger airport, with 68 million passengers handled in 2007, up by 1% compared with 2006. Paris/Charles de Gaulle (60 mn, +6%) and Frankfurt/Main (54 mn, +3%) were the second and third busiest airports, followed by Madrid/Barajas (51 mn, +14%), which in 2007 overtook Amsterdam/Schiphol (48 mn, +4%).

London/Heathrow (38 mn) handled most extra-EU27 passengers, Amsterdam/Schiphol (27 mn) most international intra-EU27 passengers and Madrid/Barajas (23 mn) most national passengers.

Madrid – Barcelona busiest route within the EU27

The busiest national routes were Madrid/Barajas – Barcelona (4.6 million passengers, +4% in 2007 compared with 2006), Roma/Fiumicino – Milano/Linate (2.5 mn, +5%), Paris/Orly – Toulouse Blagnac (2.3 mn, -1%) and Paris/Orly – Nice/Côte d’Azur (2.3 mn, 0%).

The busiest intra-EU27 routes were London Heathrow – Dublin (2.0 mn, -1%), London Heathrow – Amsterdam/Schiphol (1.8 mn, -3%) and London Heathrow – Paris/Charles de Gaulle (1.8 mn, -9%).

The busiest extra-EU27 routes were London Heathrow – New York/JFK (2.8 mn, +3%), Paris/Charles de Gaulle – New York/JFK (1.7 mn, +4%), London Heathrow – Chicago/O’Hare (1.6 mn, +6%), London Heathrow – Dubai International (1.6 mn, +14%) and London Heathrow – Hong Kong International (1.5 mn, +3%).

Permalink: EU air passenger transport up by 7% in 2007