What European country saw the biggest increase in air passengers in 2022?

Ireland reported the biggest increase in air passengers in 2022, compared to the previous year, reporting a 256% increase year-on-year.

Across the bloc, the total number of passengers travelling by air rose by 119% to 820 million, as pandemic restrictions were lifted across most European countries, Eurostat data showed.

In 2021, a year largely affected by COVID-19, air passenger numbers stood at 374 million across the EU.

Other countries to see a marked increase in air passenger numbers were Slovakia (+203%) and Finland (+203%), while the lowest increases were recorded in Cyprus (+69%), Bulgaria (+74%) and Greece (+80%).

Top airports see increase numbers

Elsewhere, the top five airports in the European Union all saw substantial increases in passenger numbers, with Paris/Charles de Gaulle registering 57.5 million passengers carried, a 119% increase.

Elsewhere, Amsterdam/Schiphol reported a 106% rise, handling 52.5 million passengers. Madrid/Barajas experienced a 115% increase, accommodating 49.8 million travellers. Frankfurt/Main recorded a 97% growth, with 48.8 million passengers, and Barcelona/El Prat noted a123% rise, serving 41.2 million passengers.

Top European countries by air passenger numbers