Brussels, 02/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The total number of passengers transported by air fell by 6% in the EU27 in 2009 compared with 2008, showing the impact of the economic crisis. The EU's official statistical office (Eurostat) released these most recent statistics on Monday 31 January. According to Eurostat, this is the first fall recorded in the EU since 2002, when air traffic was reduced due to the effect of 11 September 2001. The number of passengers decreased by 8% on intra-EU flights in 2009 (to 318 million) by 4% on extra-EU flights (to 271 million) and by 5% on national flights (to 162 million). Total freight and mail transported by air in the EU27 also fell in 2009 compared with 2008, by 12%. The number of passengers fell in all member states, except Latvia. The sharpest falls in passenger numbers were observed in Lithuania (-27%), Estonia (-26%), Slovakia (-25%) and Denmark (-15%). (A.By./transl.fl)