A traveler arrives at London Heathrow Airport.
Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
London Heathrow lost its first place among European airports last year because travel routes linked to the coronavirus pandemic kept passengers away.
The 73% drop in Heathrow was due to both the new center of Istanbul, which attracted 23.4 million travelers in its first full calendar year, and Paris Charles de Gaulle, which retained the number 2 spot.
All the airports in Europe have suffered, with 23 million passengers equaling a rank outside the top-30 in any normal year.
New order
London Heathrow lost its place as the busiest airport in Europe
Source: Company Reports
A push to replace country-specific entry with pre-flight tests has unraveled with the emergence of more infectious strains of the virus. Britain’s quarantine policy and a changing list of exempt countries also discouraged travel to London. The government intensified further last week, stopping flights from South America and extending self-isolation to all arrivals.
While most Western European airports saw 70% or more last year – from Frankfurt to Amsterdam to Barcelona – Istanbul’s two largest hubs and Sheremetyevo in Moscow reported smaller declines, rising in the ranks. The two smaller airports in Moscow have not yet been reported.
New national collapse means that travel will remain difficult for some time to come. Italy extended its state of emergency until April, while Austria’s exclusion from Germany in February will last set to follow the example.
From Monday, travelers from outside the European Union must be tested to France before boarding, agree to isolate for a week upon their arrival and then take another test.
– With the help of Tugce Ozsoy and Tara Patel
(Add Paris CDG in second paragraph)