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Data from March 2010, most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.

The rapid growth of air transport has been one of the most significant developments in the transport sector, both in the European Union (EU) and all over the world. Intra-EU air transport (including domestic flights) more than doubled between 1995 and 2008. After the events of 11 September 2001 led to a decline in 2002, growth rates then bounced back.

There is no doubt that completion of liberalisation of the air transport market in the EU contributed significantly to this development, most noticeably in the form of the massive expansion of low-cost airlines, which also led to remarkable growth of smaller regional airports, which are less congested and charge lower landing fees than large airports in the capital regions.

Table 1: Top 20 NUTS 2 regions with highest number of air passengers in 2008 Eurostat (tran_r_avpa_nm)
Table 2: Top-20 NUTS 2 regions with highest volume of air freight and mail in 2008 Eurostat (tran_r_avgo_nm)

Main statistical findings

This article on air transport focuses on the total number of passengers and the total number of tonnes loaded and unloaded in NUTS 2 regions in Europe. Tables 1 and 2 show the top-20 regions with the highest number of air passengers and highest volume of air freight in 2008.

The top-ranking regions in terms of the total number of air passengers are the capital regions of western Europe. The list is headed by Île de France, with a total of 86.7 million passengers for Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports, followed by Outer London (Heathrow) with 66.9 million passengers, Darmstadt with Frankfurt/Main airport (53.2 million), Comunidad de Madrid (50.4 million), Noord-Holland (Amsterdam/Schiphol: 47.4 million) and Lazio with Roma/Fiumicino and Roma/Ciampino airports (39.6 million).

The big airports in and around western Europe’s capitals also serve as central hubs for intercontinental air traffic. This is especially true for Heathrow (London), Charles de Gaulle (Paris), Frankfurt/Main and Schiphol (Amsterdam) airports.

In addition to these capital regions, high air passenger transport volumes can also be observed in Cataluña (Barcelona), Lombardia (Milano) and Oberbayern (München). The high passenger volumes for the south of Spain can be explained to a large extent by tourist traffic.

Although this is not visible from Table 1, a significant number of smaller regional airports are among the fastest growing, due to the success of low-cost carriers using them as their main hubs.

Among the top-20 airports for passenger transport, the Niederösterreich region with Wien shows the strongest growth (+55 %) over the five-year period from 2003 to 2008, followed by Cataluña with Barcelona (+50 %), southern and eastern Ireland with Dublin, Cork and Shannon (+47 %), Lazio with Roma (+45 %), Oberbayern with München (+44 %) and Comunidad de Madrid (+42 %). It is not surprising that the biggest airports do not show the fastest growth, since they are starting from a high base and are often already operating near to maximum capacity.

For air freight, Darmstadt (Frankfurt/Main) leads the top-20 European regions with 2.10 million tonnes, followed by Noord-Holland (Amsterdam/Schiphol: 1.59 million tonnes), Outer London (Heathrow: 1.48 million tonnes) and Île de France (Paris: 1.46 million tonnes). Volumes at other European airports are significantly lower, indicating that the biggest European airports serve as the main European hubs for air freight. Relatively high volumes can also be observed in four other regions: Luxembourg (0.79 million tonnes), Vlaams-Brabant (Brussels: 0.61 million tonnes), Lombardia (Milano/Bergamo/Brescia: 0.59 million tonnes) and Köln (Köln-Bonn: 0.57 million tonnes).

While the total volume of air freight is limited in comparison with the much higher volumes of freight transported by road, rail, inland waterway and especially sea, air freight is important and growing steadily for articles with high added value, perishable goods (especially food) and express parcels.

Air freight is clearly dominated by the big airports, such as Frankfurt/Main, Amsterdam/ Schiphol, London Heathrow and Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly. However, as with passenger transport, the most dynamic growth over the five-year period from 2003 to 2008 was at smaller airports with relatively low volumes, such as Leipzig/Halle in Germany and at the airports in the Etelä-Suomi region of Finland (including Helsinki and Turku), in Oberbayern (München) and in Niederösterreich (Wien).

Data sources and availability

Eurostat’s databases contain regional air transport statistics for passengers and freight. These series show passenger and freight movements by NUTS 2 region, measured in thousand passengers and tonnes respectively. The passenger data are divided into passengers embarking, disembarking and in transit. The freight statistics are divided into tonnes of freight and mail loaded and unloaded.

Two series are available on air freight, based on different methods. The series going back to 1978 ended with reference year 1998 and was replaced by a new time series with different definitions as from 1999.

Eurostat collects, compiles and disseminates a variety of regional indicators. Data on air transport for passengers and goods are derived directly from the data collection required by law. In addition, data on journeys made by vehicles are derived from a specific study of road transport data.

Regional transport indicators are available on Eurostat’s website under ‘Transport’ and are mirrored in the ‘General and regional statistics’. In addition to the full data sets, 16 main tables are currently available for transport data, covering infrastructure, the vehicle fleet, journeys by road, rail, sea and air, and road safety (numbers of deaths and injuries in road accidents). All the data are annual, with time series going back to the reference year 1978 for transport infrastructure, air transport and maritime transport.

Due to the intrinsic nature of transport, a spatial breakdown is built into most legislation calling for collection of transport flow statistics, which makes it possible to derive regional indicators for maritime and air transport directly. Other indicators on regional transport flows can be found under the separate areas of ‘Transport’, namely ‘Road transport’, ‘Railway transport’ and ‘Inland waterway transport’. Further information on transport flows between airports and ports can also be obtained under ‘Maritime transport’ and ‘Air transport’.

Regional air transport volumes are expressed as the total number of air passengers embarking, disembarking and in transit and as tonnes of freight loaded and unloaded at airports in the regions. The data are derived from those provided by the countries at airport level. Precise definitions of all the variables used can be found in the Glossary for transport statistics.

Currently, data on air transport are collected under Regulation 437/2003 on statistical returns in respect of the carriage of passengers, freight and mail by air. This Regulation provides detailed monthly data for airports handling more than 150 000 passengers a year. The data collected at airport level are then aggregated at NUTS 2 regional level.

Context

The data presented in the tables in this article show a number of interrelationships between regions’ economic and geographical characteristics and the structure of the European transport system. They provide basic figures on the regional distribution of air. However, the data presented in this article are only part of the wider set of regional transport statistics available in Eurostat’s databases. Regional transport statistics show patterns of variation across regions, where transport-related variables are often closely related to levels of economic activity.

Transport policies are at the very heart of efforts to reduce regional inequality and improve regional cohesion. In the enlarged European Union, economic and infrastructure disparities are now more evident than before. Furthermore, European transport policies seek to reduce the emission of CO2 and other substances detrimental to the global climate, through a more intelligent transport system and a better mix of transport modes. One of Eurostat’s longterm objectives is to expand the current regional transport indicators in order to provide a better understanding of the impact of transport policies on economic growth, transport needs and the environment.

Further Eurostat information

Publications

Main tables

Regional transport statistics (t_tran_r)
Air transport of passengers, by NUTS 2 regions (tgs00077)
Air transport of freight, by NUTS 2 regions (tgs00078)
Air transport (t_avia)
Air transport of passengers (ttr00012)
Air transport of goods (ttr00011)

Database

Regional statistics
Data
Database
Regional statistics (reg)
Regional transport statistics (reg_tran)
Air transport of passengers at regional level (tran_r_avpa_nm)
Air transport of freight at regional level (tran_r_avgo_nm)
Air transport of passengers at regional level (questionnaire) (tran_r_avpa_om)
Air transport of freight at regional level (questionnaire) (tran_r_avgo_om)

Dedicated section

Other information

  • Regulation 437/2003 on statistical returns in respect of the carriage of passengers, freight and mail by air (Legal text)

External links

See also

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