Budget carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air have reported rising passenger carryings in November.
Ryanair volumes rose by 11% year-on-year to reach 13 million in the month.
The Irish no-frills airline operated 73,750 flights with a load factor of 92%, the same as November last year.
The monthly total gave Ryanair a rolling annual total of 196.1 million passengers, up 8%.
Growth at Wizz Air was more limited at 1.7% to 4.84 million passengers as capacity fell by an identical level against the same month last year.
However the eastern and central European carrier reported an improved load factor of 91.5% and reported a “positive yield environment and booking profile” during the month and into December.
Wizz Air’s rolling 12 month total of passengers carried was up by 5.1% to 62.6 million.
The numbers coincided with European airport trade body ACI Europe reporting a 5.5% October increase in passenger traffic across the continent’s airport network.
Traffic volumes now stand 3.3% above pre‑pandemic levels as a result.
The growth was driven by strong international passenger traffic, which surged 7.1% year‑on‑year, while domestic passenger traffic remained flat compared to October 2023.
Director general Olivier Jankovec said: “October saw passenger traffic staying on the upward trajectory, continuing the positive trend we have seen throughout 2024.
“This reflects changing travel patterns and shifting seasonality, with extended demand for leisure and visits to friends and relatives (VFR) beyond the traditional summer peak into the ‘shoulder season’ that precedes the off‑season Winter months.
“This also reflects strong demand resilience despite air fares having increased on average by 30% this year compared to pre‑Covid, softening economic sentiment and increasing geopolitical tensions.
“While Europe’s airport network as a whole has now exceeded pre‑pandemic traffic levels, the reality remains that 45% of them still remain below such levels in October, with performance diverging widely across both national markets and the different segments of our industry.
“The root causes are supply pressures, geopolitics, and the new post‑pandemic aviation market reality.”