Last year, a record 842 million people travelled by air in Europe.
This was an increase of 1.7% over 2012.
The number of people flying fell dramatically in 2009 when the financial crisis was felt, but since then passenger numbers have risen steadily.
The greatest number of passengers was recorded in the UK, where 210 million took to the skies in 2013, up by 3.6%.
Of these just over 21 million were British national passengers, but the overwhelming majority were (121 million) were EU nationals followed by 68 million travellers from outside the EU.
The second highest number of air travellers were in Germany (181 million) followed by Spain (158 million), France (138 million), and Italy (115 million).
Portugal had just over 29.5 million passengers of whom 2.8 million were Portuguese nationals, but that number was overwhelmed by the 21 million from within Europe and a further 5.7 million from outside the EU.
London’s Heathrow remained Europe’s busiest airport with 72 million passengers handled.
Paris Charles de Gaulle’s 62 million made it the second busiest, followed by Frankfurt’s 58 million. Amsterdam Schiphol and Madrid Barajas took fourth and fifth positions.
Lisbon was 22nd, having handled more than 16 million people, an increase of 4.6% over 2012.
Faro airport was not in the top 30.
Comments
I like your expression that passengers are handled. In view of the intrusive security examinations at airports, it seems to me that this word is entirely appropriate.
On the other hand, we are surely not talking of 842 million people, but 842 million passenger journeys. For instance, I went twice to England this year. I suspect that I am counted in this figure four times (for the return journeys) and not just once.