Compared to 2019, the year before the pandemic, the number of domestic flights has decreased in most European countries. Germany recorded the sharpest decline.
In German airspace, the number of domestic flights last year fell more than almost anywhere else in the E.U. According to the air traffic control organization Eurocontrol, 38 percent fewer domestic flights were registered in German airspace than in the pre-Corona year 2019.
There are similarly high declines only in Lithuania (-38 percent) and Finland (-35 percent). This is in contrast to Hungary – the number of domestic flights here increased by 56 percent in the same period.
Eurocontrol attributes the development to domestic flight bans in France and Austria and to greater environmental awareness among travelers. Some countries, such as Germany, Spain, and Austria, have also made train tickets more affordable.
Air Traffic Back to Pre-crisis Level From 2025
In principle, Eurocontrol expects flight movements to reach the pre-crisis level again in 2025 and level off there. The forecasts for the current and next year have been raised slightly due to heavy tourist traffic in southern Europe.
According to the air traffic controllers, both stagnation and annual growth of up to four percent are possible from 2025 onwards. In 2029, between 96 and 116 percent of the flight movements from 2019 are likely.
