European Airports Lost 98.6% of their Passengers in April

The existing network of airports in Europe has registered a fall in the number of passengers of 98.6% last April, compared to the same month in 2019. This represents a loss of 202 million passengers, according to data from the Airports Council International, the body that groups together most of the world's airport facilities. 

Only 2.8 million passengers passed through the more than 500 European airports during April, a little more than half of the volume registered in the same month last year by the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport, through which 5 million passengers passed. The fall is also seen, for example, in the Brussels airport, which in April served 17,000 passengers, when there were 2.3 million in the same month of 2019, representing a fall of 99.3%. 

According to figures provided by the ACI Europe Director General, Olivier Jankovec, the old continent's airport facilities "are on their knees. They have lost more than 315 million passengers since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak and they will pass exceed half a billion passengers lost before the end of May”.

ACI states that while operating costs are maintained "as most (terminals) have remained at least partially open, all their revenue sources have essentially dried up, most of their staff furloughed and investments stopped". Olivier Jankovec warns the authorities in Brussels and the national governments that “this cannot last much longer" and that it is "urgent to restore some air traffic and revenue generation capabilities in time for the peak Summer months".

In the week from May 11 to 17 - week 20 of the year - there was a daily average of 4,572 flights, which is 189,294 less than in 2019 and a decrease of 85.5%. However, there was an increase of 418 daily movements compared to week 19. The total deficit since March 1, 2020 amounts to 1,621,727 flights. 

Frankfurt was the busiest airport, with an average of 251 daily movements, followed by London Heathrow (220) and the Dutch Schiphol (201). DHL Express was the busiest operator, with an average of 179 movements per day, followed by the Norwegian airline Widerøe (150), Lufthansa (102), Qatar Airways (98) and KLM (94). 

In the period from mid-April to May 17, Eurocontrol has seen a 'gradual but slight' recovery in absolute numbers of flights. The highest daily flow is seen in Norway, where there is a daily average of 81 flights, mainly domestic, largely due to the transfer of operators in Bristow Norway helicopters between the North Sea oil platforms and the airports of Bergen and Stavanger. 

To give a clear idea of the enormous slowdown in activity at European terminals, Eurocontrol notes that last Sunday, May 17, a total of 3,304 flights were carried out - 27,236 less than on the same day in 2019 - which represents a decrease of 89.2%. Qatar Airways was the busiest airline on May 17th with 114 movements, followed by Lufthansa and KLM, both with 96. This represents an increase of 284 movements from the previous Sunday, May 10th.  

On the other hand, on that Sunday, the low-cost airlines EasyJet and Ryanair carried out only 0,3 % and 1,7 % of their air movements respectively. The IAG Group - made up of Iberia, Iberia Express, Iberia Regional, Air Nostrum and British Airways - moved 5.9% of its flights, the Lufthansa Group 6.3% and the Air France-KLM alliance 7%. 

In view of the data, ACI insists on the danger of " irreversible damage not just on staff, local sub-contractors and business partners – but also on air connectivity, tourism and regional economies." As a result, "we will see airports across Europe going bust, with a far-reaching domino effect upon local communities” warns Mr. Jankovec. 

A special case is that of smaller airports, which already faced serious financial challenges before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and are now the hardest hit. The high seasonality of their businesses will be aggravated if existing restrictions on flying and crossing borders are not reduced in the coming weeks, as holiday periods and summer represent up to 70% of their income. 

Despite the fact that Brussels and the European states are focused on offering solutions to the crisis suffered by airlines, ACI Europe is asking for support so that airports can also receive public funding. If they receive institutional support, the airports will be in a position to undertake the new commercial conditions prepared by Brussels. Everything suggests that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is going to redefine the safety conditions and economic model that will govern airports in the post-COVID-19 environment.