Contributor - Europe

Cathy Buyck

The Covid-19 pandemic reduced the number of flights operating through European air space last year to levels last seen in the mid-1980s, according to data released by Eurocontrol on Monday.&nbsp; For the full year, European traffic was down 55 percent, to 5 million flights, compared with 11.1 million flights in 2019. Traffic volume fell across the region between 40 percent and 73 percent, with eye-catching declines in the UK, Germany, and Spain, each of which saw at least 1 million fewer flights and no less than a 56-percent decline in volume from a year earlier. Norway ended the year least affected in percentage terms due to its critical dependence on aviation connectivity; it saw traffic decline 40 percent on its 2019 flight counts.

 


Ryanair remained Europe’s largest airline in 2020, but it operated on average just 951 daily flights over the year versus 2,323 in 2019, resulting in a decrease of 59 percent year-on-year. Covid-19 triggered some major changes in the top 10 European operators in terms of daily flights compared with 2019. Out went Lufthansa Group’s low-cost subsidiary Eurowings and Norwegian Air Shuttle. Their places were taken by Wizz Air, thanks to a rapid restart of operations in May and a major base expansion strategy, and Pegasus Airlines on the back of strong domestic demand in Turkey, where Turkish Airlines moved from fourth in 2019 to become Europe’s second busiest airline. In terms of flights in 2020, Turkish Airlines with 626 daily positioned itself ahead of EasyJet (547), Lufthansa (513), and Air France (457). The average year-on-year decline in flights among the top 10 largest European airlines finished between minus-45 percent (Pegasus) and minus-67 percent (EasyJet).

 


The number of flights to and from Europe fell 59 percent, including a 60 percent drop on the North Atlantic, and down 54 percent on intra-European routes. Covid-19 altered the intra-European traffic flows and domestic flows predominated in 2020 with a notable increase in intra-Norwegian flights. &nbsp;Spanish domestic flows lost the top spot to French domestic flows, while the number of intra-UK flights declined 56 percent, from 1,016 daily flights in 2019 to 445 last year. The first non-domestic flow in the top ten remained UK-Spain, despite a 70 percent drop to 234 daily flights on average.

 


At&nbsp;year-end, still half&nbsp;the aircraft in Europe—4,118 of 8,048 airframes—were parked.&nbsp; However, that figure marked a major improvement on the height of the pandemic in April, when operators placed 87 percent of their aircraft out of service.

 


Eurocontrol’s baseline prediction for 2021 calls for European traffic to remain about 50 percent down on 2019 levels for the full year, albeit with an acceleration beginning in the summer based on the increased availability of Covid vaccines.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

European Flight Volume Collapsed to Mid-1980s Level in 2020

Ryanair remained the region’s largest operator last year while Eurowings and Norwegian dropped out of the top 10 of airlines performing the most flights.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charlotte Bailey

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

ATR 72 aircraft performs pre-modification flight in Toulouse

Kepplair Starts Converting ATR 72 Into Water Bombers

Curt Epstein

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Only the piston aircraft segment posted a decline

GAMA: Bizjets, T-props, and Rotorcraft Deliveries Up

Hanneke Weitering

Two captains held the prototype 33 feet above the water for 30 seconds

Regent Flies Electric Seaglider with Crew for First Time

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Icing approval would open year-round service to northern communities

Horizon Begins Icing Tests for Cavorite X7 eVTOL

Kerry Lynch

Deal to close this year

Bombardier To Grow Manufacturing Capacity with MHICA Buy

David Donald

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

The two NATO allies will purchase seven of the tanker/transport aircraft

Spain and Poland Agree to Buy A330MRTT Tanker Transports

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

GE Aerospace has tested the GE9X, Leap 1A, Leap 1B, and more with the 747.

GE Aerospace Flies Boeing 747 To Test New Engine Tech

Charles Alcock

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

More In Aircraft