Last year, Romania and Bulgaria recorded the highest increase in the European Union in the number of passengers using air transport, according to a report published by Eurostat.
In Romania, the number of passengers increased in 2016 by 20.5%, to over 15 million. Of these, 895,000 passengers flew on domestic routes, 12.3 million traveled within the EU, and 1.9 million traveled outside the community bloc.
In Bulgaria, the growth was 22.5%, reaching 9.3 million passengers.
At the European Union level, a record number of 972.7 million passengers used air transport in 2016, an increase of about 6% year-on-year.
The highest number of passengers, nearly 250 million, was recorded in the United Kingdom, followed by Germany, with over 200 million passengers.
The European airports with the highest passenger traffic were London Heathrow – 75.7 million passengers, Paris Charles de Gaulle – 65.8 million passengers, and Amsterdam Schiphol – 63.6 million passengers.
Henri Coanda Airport, the largest in Romania, recorded 10.98 million passengers in 2016, following an 18.4% increase.
In February, data from the Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe), an association representing over 500 airports in 45 countries, showed that Romania clearly dominates the ranking of European airports with the highest traffic growth in 2016.
The first three positions are occupied by airports in Romania, namely Oradea Airport, with a passenger increase of 487.7% compared to 2015, followed by Iasi Airport with a 131.3% increase, and Aurel Vlaicu International Airport with a 121.8% increase.
Source: Profit
Frequently Asked Questions
Which EU countries had the highest air traffic growth in 2016?
Bulgaria and Romania recorded the highest increases in the European Union, with growth rates of 22.5% and 20.5%, respectively.
What was the busiest airport in Europe in 2016?
London Heathrow remained the busiest airport in Europe, handling 75.7 million passengers.
Which Romanian airport experienced the most explosive growth?
Oradea Airport saw a massive increase of 487.7% in passenger numbers compared to the previous year.