Brussels, 07/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - The European airports noted clear recovery in 2013, but their Council remained circumspect as to its growth forecasts for 2014.
In 2013, the number of passengers in European airports was up 2.8% compared to 2012, which is progress, although very poor when compared to growth of nearly 10% in neighbouring third countries (Turkey, Russia, Iceland and Norway). Director General of the European branch of the Airports Council International (ACI-Europe) Olivier Jankovec explained that this underperformance in Europe is due to the ongoing impact of the euro zone crisis and the maturity of the European air transport market. Nonetheless, he welcomed this upturn in passenger traffic and highlighted the particularly good performance of Irish, Portuguese, Greek and Spanish airports. Freight traffic, on the other hand, grew by barely 1%, a situation which can be attributed to internal demand which is falling globally. ACI-Europe is optimistic for 2014. Jankovec said that there are “enough hopeful signs that Europe can sustain its nascent economic recovery, which is pointing to an even more positive picture for air traffic in the months ahead”. However, airports are remaining cautious, predicting growth of 3.2% for passenger transport and 1.5% for freight. Risks subsist, due to a jobless recovery combined with “damaging” aviation taxes in the UK, Germany, France and Austria and restructuring measures in many airlines, said the ACI-Europe director general. (MD/transl.fl)