The number of passengers traveling through Tallinn Airport in March also exceeded the figures for the same month for the first time, which is a clear sign that demand for flights is recovering following the pandemic.

According to ACI (Airports Council International) Europe's latest forecast, passenger numbers for Europe as a whole are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2025.

In March, scheduled flights from Tallinn served 33 destinations with an average capacity of 72 percent.

At the end of March, regular flights resumed to a number of summer destinations. AirBaltic began flying to Nice on the French Riviera, while Turkish airline SunExpress opened up seasonal flights to Antalya on the Mediterranean coast. Of the airlines operating from Tallinn, AirBaltic and Ryanair had the highest passenger numbers, with 21 percent of the market share each. Charter flights continued to leave Tallinn for Egypt, the Canary Islands and Milan.

According to Eero Pärgmäe, a member of Tallinn Airport AS' management board, exceeding the pre-pandemic passenger numbers is a really positive result for the airport and an encouraging one for the future. "The recovery of air traffic at Tallinn Airport has been very quick. Together with our partners, we have been able to recruit staff faster than many other airports in Europe, and as a result, flying from Tallinn is as comfortable as it was before the pandemic. Of course, we would like to thank all the passengers who start their journeys from Tallinn Airport - we would not have these kinds of numbers without your support," said Pärgmäe.

"The recovery of Tallinn Airport's passenger numbers at is a particularly important achievement for us, as in February, other airports in the region are currently between 10 to 28 percent below their pre-pandemic passenger numbers, as laid out in the ACI's 2019 report," said Pärgmäe.

Of Estonia's other airports, Kuressaare served the highest number of passengers in March. A total of 3,460 passengers used Kuressaare Airport, an increase of 27 percent compared to the same month last year. The vast majority were on scheduled flights to and from Tallinn.

1,026 passengers traveled through Kärdla Airport, making it the busiest March at the airport in years. The numbers were boosted by the introduction of a larger aircraft on the Kärdla-Tallinn route at the start of this year.

Ruhnu Airport served 263 passengers in March, while 169 people flew from Pärnu and 72 from Tartu. Kihnu Airport was used by just 1 passenger.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!