European flights reach highest level since September

The number of flights taking place in Europe has reached its highest level since the end of the summer 2020 season, as the continent’s travel markets begin to reopen. Cirium data for 7 June shows a seven-day average of 11,373 flights departing European airports. This represents a steady increase from the end of April, when the figure was just over 7,000, and the highest number since 20 September, when 11,420 flights departed. Although the figure remains well below the 26,415 flights of 7 June 2019, the gap with pre-pandemic levels has been narrowing in recent weeks. Analysis of another metric, aircraft tracked in flight, makes clear that carriers are pressing their equipment back into service. On 7 June a seven-day average of 3,125 aircraft were tracked making departing flights from European airports, against 2,349 a month earlier. On 7 June 2019, a weekly average of 5,576 aircraft had been tracked, using the same metric. Cirium data also shows that European airlines have overtaken their Chinese counterparts as measured by seven-day average for passenger flights, as China’s number of flights continue to decline. A total of 11,743 European flights were operated on 6 June, marginally above the corresponding 11,432 services operated in China. Increasing traffic levels in Europe reflect the gradually improving Covid-19 situation on the continent, as rising vaccination rates start to give consumers the confidence to travel again. <br/>