The number of commercial flights in the European Union in 2024 amounted to 6.7 million, which is 5.8% higher than the previous year, according to the EU Statistical Office. However, their number remained below the 7 million mark recorded in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Irregular flights, such as charters, accounted for 8.7% of the total number of flights. The peak was in the summer months: in June, their share was 10.3%, in July – 10.7%, and in August – 10.1%.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport handled the largest number of flights last year (484 thousand). This is followed by Paris Charles de Gaulle (463 thousand) and Frankfurt am Main Airport (437 thousand). The top ten airports in terms of traffic also include Madrid, Barcelona, Munich, Rome, Athens, Vienna, and Dublin.
Eurostat’s definition of commercial air travel includes passenger, cargo, and mail flights.
