• Passenger traffic in Q2 2022 increased threefold on Q2 2021, to 27% below its 2019 level 

• Momentum in Europe has been very strong since early April; the degree of recovery is now almost the same as in the Americas (at 86% of its 2019 level in June)

• Traffic is higher than in 2019 at some airports in the Americas, but remains low in Asia due to scant international travel to and from China

In the paragraphs below, unless otherwise indicated, variations refer to traffic levels in Q2 2022 compared to the same period in 2019. 

49 million passengers traveled through VINCI Airports’ network in Q2 2022, i.e. three times more than in Q2 2021 (and 27% less than in 2019). Traffic continued to recover in Europe as all airlines began resuming flights in early April. Load factors in Europe this June reached 83%, the highest figure since the beginning of the crisis. Traffic in Europe, as a result, is now close to that in the Americas and to its precrisis levels (about 14% below them at this point). Performance, in other words, was good notwithstanding the fact that airlines canceled flights for operational reasons (short-staffing), especially in June, in Europe and to a lesser extent the United States. The figures at some airports are now higher than in 2019 (for instance at Porto and Funchal in Portugal, and in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic). 

Traffic in VINCI Airports’ European network continued to climb back to pre-crisis levels as strong demand prompted airlines to restart flights. Traffic at the airports in Portugal hovered very near its pre-crisis level throughout Q2. Traffic at Funchal (Madeira) was buoyed by Ryanair’s decision to set up a new two-aircraft base for the year at the end of March, which pushed Q2 2022 figures 28% higher than in Q2 2019.  Traffic at Gatwick bounced back at the beginning of the quarter, with growth in passenger numbers on flights to and from Spain, Greece and Turkey around the Easter break. This trend continued as airlines gradually increased capacity. For example Vueling (up 35% over the quarter) opened a new two-aircraft base there.

The recovery picked up pace in April and May in Belgrade with new capacity from Turkish Airlines (up 76%) and Wizz Air (up 42%). Wizz Air has also added a new aircraft to its base there. 

In France, traffic at Lyon and Nantes increased substantially in April, around the Easter break. Nantes airport saw growth in domestic flights and in travel to and from Spain, with sharp increases in capacity by Volotea (up 36%) and Transavia (up 20%). 

Passenger numbers at some airports in Latin America were much higher than before the pandemic, confirming these destinations’ appeal among North American travelers. This is the case for example at Guanacaste airport in Costa Rica, which saw all-time-high passenger numbers (32% more than in 2019), essentially due to additional shoulder-season flights to and from the United States. Traffic at the airports in the Dominican Republic rose on flights to and from the United States and Spain, and remained above its 2019 levels throughout the quarter (+5% higher overall). 

In Brazil, passenger traffic adjusted for Avianca Brazil’s bankruptcy in 2019 continues to grow, principally on the back of Gol’s new flights and the gradual resumption of transatlantic flights. 

In Asia, traffic at Phnom Penh is increasing as flights to and from Thailand and Singapore are gradually restarting, but is still hampered by the lack of international flights to and from China – like the other airports in Cambodia. In Japan, Kansai Airports is seeing an increase in domestic flights whereas international traffic remains low due to the ongoing restrictions on international travel in Japan and China. 

More information on traffic results is available here.