Brexit data: ACI Europe releases key passenger traffic statistics ahead of crunch Brussels summit

EUROPE. ACI Europe has released its latest data on air passenger traffic between the UK and the EU27, ahead of a key European Union (EU) summit on Brexit being held in Brussels. [EU27 denotes all members of the European Union except the departing UK].

The infographic below shows that airport traffic growth among the EU28 [European Union members including the UK] in the first half of 2018 was far ahead of UK growth, at +5.4% and +2.1% respectively.

Click on image to enlarge.

In 2017, UK airports represented 17.3% of EU28 passenger traffic, while about one in eight EU27 passengers travelled to or from the UK last year.

The UK is scheduled to leave the EU on 29 March 2019.

Terms of a Brexit transition agreement struck between the UK and EU in May suggest that a return to duty free sales between the UK and EU member states is likely to fall on 31 December 2020. Previously, it was considered that the return would fall on the exit date of 29 March.

The return of duty free sales between Ireland and the UK was valued at nearly €60 million in direct or indirect sales by the Irish Duty Free Alliance earlier this year.

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