Cheap airlines have brought back the same passenger numbers at EU airports as before the coronavirus pandemic
Booming business at budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet has seen passenger numbers at European airports in the first half of the year reach levels not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry can finally leave the crisis behind, the European airport association ACI Europe welcomed the development on Wednesday. Particularly at holiday destinations, budget airlines recorded high passenger numbers, while domestic and business flights decreased.
In Albania, with its Adriatic coast, passenger numbers exploded in June of this year by a whole 243 percent compared to the same period five years ago, "driven by the expansion of ultra-low-cost airlines." Airports in holiday destinations such as Greece (+23.9 percent), Portugal (+14.2 percent), and Croatia (+13.6 percent) also showed significant growth.
In Germany, however, passenger numbers compared to the first half of 2019 before the pandemic decreased by 17 percent. The association attributes this to the reduced number of domestic flights and business trips, which are increasingly being replaced by video conferences or train journeys.
The airport in Memmingen, southern Bavaria, from which airlines like Ryanair, Wizzair, and Lufthansa's subsidiary Eurowings operate, recorded a significant increase in passenger numbers. Compared to the first half of five years ago, the number of passengers increased by 73.7 percent. Similar figures were seen at remote budget airports like Beauvais in France (plus 62.4 percent) or Bergamo (plus 30.1 percent) in Italy.
Low cost airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet significantly contributes to the rise in passenger numbers at holiday destinations, as evidenced by the 243% increase in Albania. These budget airlines also contribute to the growth observed in airports in Greece, Portugal, and Croatia.
