2021 Connectivity Report published

The publication of the 2021 edition of the Airport Industry Connectivity Report showed air connectivity levels to be significantly damaged by the pandemic. Direct connectivity out of Europe’s airports stands at -36% compared to the pre-pandemic levels. Hub connectivity, heavily impacted by intercontinental markets remaining subject to tight travel restrictions, is still down by -67%.

The report shows that smaller and regional airports have so far recovered their direct connectivity faster than others. This is in part due to the recovery to date being driven in large part by Low Cost Carriers, and also the relative resilience of domestic compared to international traffic. The comparative strength of domestic markets is also evident in the speed with which US hubs have recovered their connectivity when compared to European ones.

Olivier Jankovec called on Governments to support air connectivity and aviation in general moving forwards. “There is no escaping the fact that with no comparable substitute, air connectivity must remain an essential part of the productive capacity of our societies” he said. “With every +10% in direct connectivity yielding +0.5% in GDP per capita, that’s not something we can turn our backs on”.

The Airport Industry Connectivity Report 2021 can be accessed here.