Europe's Top Busiest Airports from 2017 to 2021
In a comprehensive report prepared using Microsoft's PowerBI application, the busiest airports in Europe over a five-year period (2017-2021) have been analysed. The data used in the report was obtained from Wikipedia and aviation authorities of each European country.
One of the airports analysed was Istanbul Airport, which opened its doors in 2018. The report provides insights into the dramatic changes that occurred in the European aviation sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic had a significant impact on European airports, particularly in 2020 and 2021, compared to pre-pandemic data from 2017-2019. Key points on this impact include:
1. **Dramatic Decline in Passenger Traffic:** Due to travel restrictions, lockdowns, and health safety measures, European airports experienced a sharp decrease in passenger numbers starting in early 2020. This led to substantially reduced flight operations at major hubs.
2. **Airline Operations and Employment Cuts:** Airlines serving these airports, such as KLM, were heavily affected, resulting in major job cuts (KLM alone cut at least 6,000 jobs). Reduced demand and new protocols like mandatory COVID-19 testing constrained flight schedules and airport operations.
3. **Flight and Capacity Reductions:** Airlines were forced to scale back summer schedules and reduce fleet utilization, stalling growth trends seen in the years prior to the pandemic. This disruption affected not only passenger services but also revenues tied to airport and airline infrastructure investments.
4. **Recovery Patterns Post-2020:** By late 2021 and early 2022, there were attempts to recover capacity with new aircraft orders and resumed schedules. However, the recovery was uneven and marked by operational challenges related to ongoing pandemic disruptions.
The report has an interactive structure for detailed analysis, allowing users to delve deeper into the data. It's recommended to consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic when reviewing the report. The report is accessible for further review by clicking the provided link.
While exact airport-level passenger statistics for each year from 2017-2021 are not detailed in the sources provided here, the overall trends demonstrate a sharp downturn in air travel volumes and airport activity in 2020 and 2021 compared to pre-pandemic years, with gradual recovery starting after mid-2021. This pattern aligns with the experiences of major European hubs, reflecting the broad impact of COVID-19 on Europe's busiest airports.
[1] Source: European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) report on COVID-19 impact on European aviation (2020) [2] Source: Airports Council International Europe report on COVID-19 impact on European airports (2020)
- The aviation industry's finance sector, deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, witnessed a decline in profitability due to reduced flight operations and decreased passenger traffic in European airports.
- The technology and aerospace sectors were also impacted as a result of the pandemic, with reduced demand leading to contraction in flight schedules and stalled growth trends, particularly in 2020 and 2021.
