BARCELONA, Spain—Air connectivity in Europe is lagging the recovery of passenger volumes with “significant divergences” between national markets, according to a report published by ACI Europe.

The organization’s annual Airport Industry Connectivity Report, published during the 33rd ACI World Annual Congress and General Assembly in Barcelona, finds that total European air connectivity—combined direct and indirect connectivity—is down by 16% compared with pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, European passenger traffic is down by 7.6% on 2019 levels.

ACI Europe Director General Olivier Jankovec told delegates June 27 that the top line connectivity data masks large variances at a national level. Only five markets have exceeded pre-pandemic connectivity levels—Turkey is up by 19%, Cyprus by 17%, Bosnia-Herzegovina by 8%, Albania by 7% and Greece by 4%.

Among the larger markets, the UK (-10%) is the least-worst performer followed by Spain (-12%), Italy (-16%), France (-17%) and Germany (-27%). Other countries, such as Czechia (-44%) and Finland (-40%), remain far from having recovered their total connectivity level.

As a result of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, Ukraine has lost all commercial air connectivity. Ukraine's airspace and airports remain closed. The international sanctions in response to the war in Ukraine have led to significant losses on total air connectivity for Belarus (-82%) and to a lesser—but still significant—extent for Russia (-34%).

The report finds that the patterns which are influencing the divergences in national markets are also driving structural changes in air connectivity. It says that direct connectivity is down by just 4% but indirect connectivity (-22%) and hub connectivity (-25%) both remain well below pre-pandemic levels.

Jankovec said this reflects the fact that LCCs have increased their direct connectivity by 12% since 2019, while full-service carriers have reduced direct connectivity by 13%.

Meanwhile, Istanbul, Amsterdam and London Heathrow are leading for direct connectivity. Istanbul has this year replaced Amsterdam as the airport with the highest level of direct connectivity in Europe, moving up from fifth before the COVID crisis. The Turkish Airlines hub has exceeded its pre-pandemic direct connectivity level by 9%, while Amsterdam’s direct connectivity is at -8% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Heathrow remains in the third position, with its direct connectivity at -5% compared to 2019.

Globally, the report finds that Frankfurt remains in the top position for hub connectivity, despite its hub connectivity level remaining -23% below pre-pandemic figures. The Lufthansa hub is followed by Istanbul (+31%) and Dallas Fort Worth (-19%).

However, Helsinki (-61%) and Rome-Fiumicino (-60%) have both seen their hub connectivity levels shrink dramatically. Stockholm-Arlanda (-54%), Warsaw (-43%), Brussels (-40%) and Munich (-37%) have also seen significant losses in hub connectivity levels since before the pandemic.

Jankovec said the report shows the recovery of air connectivity in Europe is “anything but uniform” across geographies and airport markets. “These are changes which appear to be systemic and quite possibly here to stay,” he added.

“Alongside this, the climate emergency is bringing the societal role and value of air connectivity into question. The formidable economic and social benefits of air connectivity need to go hand in glove with decarbonization if we are to de-risk our collective futures.”

The Airport Industry Connectivity Report is based on the connectivity indexes developed by SEO Amsterdam Economics.