The total number of air passengers in the European Union reached 973 million in 2023, marking a 19.3% increase compared to 816 million in 2022, according to Eurostat data.
Every EU country recorded growth in air travel, with Malta (+33.3%), Slovenia (+30.9%), and the Czech Republic (+29.4%) leading the way. The smallest increases were noted in Estonia (+7.9%), Greece (+9.6%), and Lithuania (+12.3%).
Despite the surge in passenger numbers, air freight and mail transport in the EU fell by 5.2% in 2023 compared to the previous year.
The top five EU airports remained unchanged, with Paris Charles de Gaulle leading at 67.4 million passengers (+17.3%), followed by Amsterdam Schiphol (61.9 million, +17.9%), Madrid Barajas (60.1 million, +20.4%), Frankfurt (59.3 million, +21.5%), and Barcelona El Prat (49.8 million, +20.6%).