In 2023, 71.3 million air passengers travelled to and from the five main airports of the Netherlands. That was over 16 percent more than in 2022, but fewer than before the coronavirus pandemic. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on new figures this month.
In total there were nearly 506 thousand commercial flights, an increase of 9 percent on the previous year.
Air freight transport declined by nearly 9 percent year on year, to 1.4 million tonnes.
The busiest month of 2023 was August, when 48.1 thousand flights were handled and 7.1 million passengers travelled to and from the Netherlands. Sunday 30 July and Monday 7 August were the busiest days of the year, with 246 thousand passengers travelling through the Netherlands’ five major airports on those days. The day with the fewest passengers was Tuesday 24 January, at 113 thousand.
Nearly 80 percent of aircraft seats occupied
The average aircraft occupancy rate increased compared to 2022. In 2023, the average seat occupancy on passenger flights was 79 out of every 100 seats, up from 76 in the previous year. In 2019, the number was 81.
Increase in passengers travelling through Rotterdam and Eindhoven airports
Despite the increase, air passenger traffic remained below pre-pandemic levels at all of the Netherlands’ major airports. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol handled nearly 442 thousand commercial flights and 61.9 million passengers in 2023, which was 87 percent of all flights and of all air passengers travelling to and from the Netherlands. This was nearly 18 percent more passengers than in 2022 and nearly 14 percent fewer than in 2019.
Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Eindhoven Airport were the only two major airports in the Netherlands that recorded more passengers in 2023 compared to both 2022 and 2019. With nearly 6.9 million air passengers in 2023, Eindhoven Airport remains the Netherlands’ second most important airport for passenger traffic. In 2023, Rotterdam Airport saw 2.2 million passengers passing through.
More than half of air passengers travelled within the EU
Of the 71.3 million air passengers who flew to and from the Netherlands in 2023, 37.1 million travelled within the European Union and 15.3 million travelled to and from other countries in Europe. This represented a total of 73.4 percent of all air passengers. In 2023, the largest numbers of air passengers flew to and from Spain (9.3 million) and to and from the United Kingdom (8.6 million). Outside Europe, the United States was the most popular destination in 2023, with 5.8 million passengers.
Highest number of passengers flew to and from Barcelona
In 2023, Barcelona-El Prat airport had the highest number of passengers flying to and from airports in the Netherlands, at 1.8 million. This Spanish airport was also the most popular in 2022, with 1.5 million passengers. In both 2022 and 2023, London Heathrow ranked second, at 1.1 million and 1.4 million passengers respectively.
Almost all air freight handled at Schiphol in 2023
Due to the temporary closure of Maastricht Airport in Q2 2023, cargo operators diverted to other airports. Approximately 98 percent of all air freight in the Netherlands, nearly 1.38 million tonnes, was transported through Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, 4 percent less than in 2022, while 32 thousand tonnes of cargo went through Maastricht Airport.
Source: https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2024/06/71-million-air-passengers-in-2023-but-not-a-record-high
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