In 2022, EUROCONTROL projects that air traffic will increase by 84 percent to 96 percent compared to 2019, resulting in 9.2 million flights.
“Aviation has continued to rebound strongly over the previous few weeks, with a steady recovery from 68 percent in January to 79 percent by the start of April compared to 2019 levels, especially when including in the network and fuel price impact of Russia’s unjustifiable action against Ukraine.”
Airlines are adding a lot of capacity, and some are already functioning better than they were before the outbreak. People are expressing a strong desire to fly — many for the first time since the outbreak began.
At peak summer times, we anticipate seeing 90 percent or more of 2019 traffic, and we expect holiday destinations and some other portions of the network to reach 100 percent of their 2019 levels.
However, there are still some downside risks associated with ongoing geopolitical tensions, which might have a negative influence on fuel costs and economic conditions, as well as the potential for additional COVID variants.
Staff shortages are also occurring in some sections of the industry, particularly at airports in crucial professions like airport screeners and ground handlers, which must be properly managed. If any of these things come into play, traffic might deteriorate to levels similar to those predicted in our Low Scenario.”
