EU airport traffic points to 'weak and gradual recovery'; ACI Europe notes need for caution

ACI Europe reported (05-Aug-2013) overall passenger traffic at European airports increased 1.8% year-on-year in 1H2013, with EU airports registering a 0.2% decline while non-EU airports led by Turkey, Russia, Iceland and Norway reported growth of 9.8%. Overall freight traffic among European airports remained negative at 0.9% while aircraft movements fell 2.9%. Notable growth were seen at Moscow Sheremetyevo (+14.2%), Istanbul Ataturk (+12.1%), Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen (+22.7%), Saint Petersburg (+17.1%), Berlin Tegel (+12.2%), Ankara (+17.1%), Bergen (+12.4%) and Alicante (+11.1%). Airports with less than five million passengers p/a including Arad, Tivat, Chambery, Chita and Skopje also reported double-digit growth. Commenting on the results, ACI Europe director general Olivier Jankovec said passenger traffic is finally improving for EU airports with Jun-2013 traffic returning to growth for the second month, consistent with the fact that economic sentiment across the Eurozone is generally improving. Mr Jankovec warned of the need for caution as "airlines are still not adding much capacity to the market and freight traffic remains in recession." [more - original PR]

ACI Europe: "Overall, our traffic figures are pointing to a rather weak and gradual recovery for EU airports against a background of record unemployment, low consumer spending and stringent austerity measures. In that context, plans from France to further increase its aviation tax and from the Walloon authorities in Belgium to impose a new tax on departing passengers, are the last things we need," Olivier Janlovec, Director General. Source: Company statement, 05-Aug-2013.