Number of air passengers recorded in France 2020
The passenger traffic at French airports underwent a significant decline during 2020.
As a matter of fact, the number of air passengers recorded in France dropped from 11.6 million in January 2020 to around 140,000 in April 2020. Furthermore, the resurgence of the air passenger traffic during the summer period did not offset this downturn. Such a decline in the air transportation sector was one of the consequences directly linked to the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
The Covid-19 pandemic: a hard blow for air transportation
The 2020 pandemic situation led governments to implement travel restrictions aiming to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus, which played a role in the loss recorded by airlines. Therefore, major airports in France observed their air traffic drastically reduced. By the end of March 2020, more than half of the scheduled flights were already not maintained in the leading French airports. As a result, several airlines suffered from the economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. One compelling example is Air France-KLM which saw its turnover fall by more than half in 2020 compared to the previous year. The Franco-Dutch group also transported far fewer passengers than in 2019.
Reluctance to fly among French people in 2020
If more than half of French people intended to travel in 2020, most of them targeted France as a destination. This popularity could be partly explained by travel restrictions offering fewer holiday alternatives due to the Covid-19 virus. Besides, 80 percent of the French population did not fly during the next six months following the first lockdown ended in Mai 2020 in France. Likewise, the willingness of French people to not traveling by plane was motivated by several reasons: the absence of the need or desire to fly as well as avoiding being in quarantine at the destination.
Following the example of the societal crisis or natural disasters that impacted aeronautics in recent years, will air traffic manage to return to normal after this health and economic crisis?
To get further information about the impacts of the Covid-19, please refer to our dedicated Facts & Figures page.
The Covid-19 pandemic: a hard blow for air transportation
The 2020 pandemic situation led governments to implement travel restrictions aiming to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus, which played a role in the loss recorded by airlines. Therefore, major airports in France observed their air traffic drastically reduced. By the end of March 2020, more than half of the scheduled flights were already not maintained in the leading French airports. As a result, several airlines suffered from the economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. One compelling example is Air France-KLM which saw its turnover fall by more than half in 2020 compared to the previous year. The Franco-Dutch group also transported far fewer passengers than in 2019.
Reluctance to fly among French people in 2020
If more than half of French people intended to travel in 2020, most of them targeted France as a destination. This popularity could be partly explained by travel restrictions offering fewer holiday alternatives due to the Covid-19 virus. Besides, 80 percent of the French population did not fly during the next six months following the first lockdown ended in Mai 2020 in France. Likewise, the willingness of French people to not traveling by plane was motivated by several reasons: the absence of the need or desire to fly as well as avoiding being in quarantine at the destination.
Following the example of the societal crisis or natural disasters that impacted aeronautics in recent years, will air traffic manage to return to normal after this health and economic crisis?
To get further information about the impacts of the Covid-19, please refer to our dedicated Facts & Figures page.
