ACI Europe | Trump tariffs threaten to ground air transport

• The Airports Association of Europe (ACI Europe) is expressing concern about a future decline in demand for air transport, warning that the post-pandemic “wave” is weakening and uncertainty at the global economic level is intensifying, mainly due to the new tariffs imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

According to data for the first quarter of 2025, passenger traffic at European airports increased by 4.3% compared to the same period last year, a significantly lower rate compared to the 10.2% increase in the first quarter of 2024 compared to 2023.

The increase is due exclusively to international traffic, which recorded an increase of 5.7% compared to last year, while domestic traffic remained stagnant. Compared to the first quarter of 2019, international passenger traffic is up 8.9%, but domestic traffic remains down 12.8%.

The momentum is slowing month-on-month: from a 6.9% increase in January, it fell to 3.4% in February and 3% in March — a performance that is also attributed to the fact that this year’s Easter falls later, in April.

Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe, said:

“Our first quarter data shows that the post-pandemic travel boom is fading, as we move towards ‘normalised’ passenger traffic growth rates, with demand remaining broadly resilient so far. This reflects the priority consumers are placing on experiences, despite the increasingly challenging economic environment, as well as the dynamics of the aviation markets in Eastern and Southern Europe and Central Asia.”

He added:

“While transatlantic demand is weakening, we expect the European side of this to shift to other markets, and we remain confident about the summer season. The big question is what happens from next winter onwards, given the unprecedented macroeconomic uncertainty we face as a result of the Trump administration’s attack on the global multilateral trading system. This means that, in addition to geopolitical developments and existing supply chain pressures due to delays in aircraft deliveries and maintenance, as well as infrastructure constraints and airlines’ focus on efficiency rather than capacity expansion, we are likely to see demand pressures materialise.”

In addition, air transport continues to face challenges from delays in aircraft deliveries and maintenance, infrastructure constraints, and airline strategies that emphasize yield rather than capacity expansion.

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