Brussels, 20/12/2007 (Agence Europe) - The total number of passengers travelling by air in the EU27 rose by 4.7% in 2006 compared to 2005 to almost 740 million, according to the latest figures published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. In 2005, the number of passengers in the EU25 rose by 8.5%. In 2006, the highest numbers of air passengers were recorded in the United Kingdom (211 million, +4%), Germany (154 million, +6%), Spain (151 million, +5%), France (113 million, +5%) and Italy (96 million, +9%). Generally speaking, the number of passengers increased in all member states in 2006 except in Cyprus and Malta. Four member states recorded a fall in the number of air passengers by 30% or more compared to 2005: Romania (+35%), Slovakia (+34%), Latvia (+33%) and Poland (+31%). Eight member states notched up a rise of 10% or more: - seven member states from Central and Eastern Europe as well as Ireland.
With 67 million air passengers in 2006, London Heathrow remained the EU's busiest passenger airport despite a fall of 0.5% in the number of passengers between 2005 and 2006. Paris Charles de Gaulle (56 million, +6%) and Frankfurt Main (52 million, +1%) ranked in second and third position, followed by Amsterdam Schiphol (46 million, +4%) and Madrid Barajas (45 million, +8%). London Heathrow was the busiest EU airport when it comes to extra-EU27 passengers (i.e. from outside the EU) with 37 million in all, while Amsterdam Schiphol was the busiest for intra-EU27 passengers (27 million) and Madrid Barajas for passengers on national flights (20 million). (I.L.)