Non-Subscriber Extract
European airports break all records
- Article Tools
| 23 March 2001 |
European airports
break all records
The number of passengers
served by European airports in 2000 was up by 7.9% from 1999 figures to
965 million according to preliminary annual traffic results released by
ACI Europe. The figure represents the highest annual growth rate registered
for airport passenger traffic in the past decade. The annual freight growth
of 8% to 12.7 million tonnes was also the highest achieved at European
airports since 1991. The number of aircraft movements, on the other hand,
increased by only 3.3% year-on-year, which ACI Europe says indicates the
increasing efficiency in the utilisation of aircraft and airport capacity.
Commenting
on the traffic results, ACI Europe director general Philippe Hamon referred
to the aviation industry as not only an important employer, but also a
conduit for major inward investment and economic prosperity. "In
1998 ACI Europe calculated that for every 1 million passengers, over 4,000
jobs are created (direct, indirect, induced and catalytic employment),"
said Hamon, "that being the case, nearly 4 million Europeans owe
their livelihood in one way or another to the aviation industry. Decision-makers
should bear that in mind when considering restrictions to future growth."