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New traffic record set: 37,228 flights in one day

3 July 2019

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New traffic record set: 37,228 flights handled across the European aviation network.

Traffic continues to rise steadily across Europe’s busy skies, and the total number of movements handled across the European aviation network overseen by the EUROCONTROL Network Manager hit a new high last Friday, 28 June 2019, with 37,228 flights over the course of the day.

This broke the previous traffic record of 37,101 flights which was set on Friday 7 September 2018.

Ensuring smooth traffic flows with delays kept to a minimum – and actively working to reduce the environmental impacts of aviation – are core objectives for the EUROCONTROL Network Manager.

As Iacopo Prissinotti, EUROCONTROL’s Director Network Management, emphasises: “We work closely with our partners across Europe to accommodate traffic demand and make sure that traffic flows as safely and efficiently as possible, with routes designed to keep noise and emissions to a minimum”.

Overall, last year the European aviation network recorded over 11.0 million flights, carrying more than 1 billion passengers. The daily average was 30,168 flights per day, rising over the busy summer vacation period, when more than 1 million flights a month cross the network.

Historical data suggest that the next occasion this summer when the number of movements could surpass the new record will be Friday 6 September - the network's highest traffic days tend to be around the last weekend of June, reflecting the end of many school terms around Europe, and the end of August/start of September, as families return from leave.

Traffic up 1.7% for first half 2019! New record set – busiest day ever in the on Friday 28th June with 37,228 flights handled on the @eurocontrol Network. @Transport_EU @CANSOEurope @A4Europe @IATA @ACI_EUROPE @ECACceac pic.twitter.com/5prM0K1Ap4
— Eamonn Brennan (@eurocontrolDG) 3 juli 2019