Analysing and reporting air connectivity trends across the European airport network is something ACI EUROPE has been doing for more than 10 years. We do so by using a range of indicators measuring the performance of airports individually and at different levels of aggregation, along with the performance of European States and the contribution of the different airline business models to European air connectivity. For the first time, this report also introduces an additional air connectivity index – the Power City Access index, which brings in more qualitative input along with the usual quantitative measures.
Each year comes with valuable insights, and 2024 is no exception. If anything, this year’s report shows that air connectivity should not be taken for granted. Four years have passed since the onset of the pandemic, yet air connectivity levels have still not fully recovered. Also plain to see is the fact that structural changes in the aviation market and geopolitics are re-shaping air connectivity patterns, with significant performance gaps amongst both geographies and individual airport markets. In other words, there are winners and losers.
Looking ahead, there is no escaping the fact that the massive transition costs and disruptions involved in decarbonising aviation will increase the cost of flying, lower future demand growth and thus impact air connectivity. Along with climate action, airline consolidation and technological progress will also keep reshaping air connectivity.
These are all factors – or ‘air connectivity determinants’ – that policy makers at all levels should be paying attention to, for +10% increase in air connectivity automatically yields a +0.5% increase in GDP per capita.
Indeed, air connectivity is an essential part of competitiveness, be it at local, national or European level. And surely, the cohesion it enables within Europe and the access to external markets it affords are worth safeguarding and nurturing.
This means that we have no choice but to progress towards decarbonizing aviation while at the same time safeguarding the socio-economic benefits of air connectivity. Ultimately, this is also about securing wide societal and political support for climate action.
This is a major challenge, which Europe’s airports have embraced together with the whole aviation industry, as evidenced by the DESTINATION 2050 alliance. But there is no escaping the fact that the massive transition costs and disruptions involved in decarbonizing aviation require further political, regulatory, and financial support if we want to succeed.
Together with the whole ACI EUROPE team, I hope this report will not just be of use for our airport members, but also contribute to a better understanding of air connectivity dynamics for policy makers and regulators.
Olivier Jankovec
ACI EUROPE Director General
