CAPTION: Domestic flights still below pre-pandemic levels in Europe. (picture alliance/dpa/Fabian Sommer)
Domestic flights fell sharply in Germany, Lithuania and Finland last year compared to pre-pandemic levels, with Hungary bucking the trend to record a dramatic rise, the European air safety agency Eurocontrol reported in Brussels.
Domestic flights in Germany and in Lithuania were down 38% respectively compared with 2019 and were down 35% in Finland. By contrast, domestic flights in Hungary rose by 56% over the same period.
Flights within Ukraine fell by 87% as a result of the Russian invasion.
Eurocontrol attributed the decline to bans on domestic flights in France and Austria, along with growing environmental consciousness on the part of passengers. It noted that certain countries, including Germany, Spain and Austria, had cut rail fares. German travellers were switching to rail, it said.
Flight movements are expected to return to pre-crisis levels in 2025. Predictions for this year and next have been raised based on tourist traffic in Southern Europe. Predictions into the medium term are for stagnation or a slight rise.
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