Number of travelers flying budget airlines from Dutch airports tripled in last 20 years

The number of passengers that have flown with a budget airline like Ryanair or EasyJet has tripled in the last 20 years. In 2024, a total of 27.8 million passengers flew from or to a Dutch airport with a budget airline, Statistics Netherlands reported. The number of people who flew with a budget airline in 2004 was 9.3 million.

Traditional airlines carried 48.4 million passengers last year, compared to 35.2 million 20 years ago. The statistics show that budget airlines are taking a larger share of customers every year. In 2004, one in five people used a budget airline, whereas in 2024 it was two in five people.

Budget airlines often fly at smaller airports, where airport and handling fees are lower. In the Netherlands, the rise in budget airlines has led to smaller airports like Eindhoven, Rotterdam, Maastricht, and Groningen becoming more important. The number of passengers at these airports had quadrupled since 2004.

Of all passengers who flew to or from a smaller national airport in the Netherlands in 2024, 98 percent flew with a budget airline.

Despite the growth of smaller airports, most budget passengers still travel via Schiphol. In 2024, a total of 18.6 million passengers flew with budget airlines to or from Schiphol, compared to 9.2 million at the other four national airports.

The most popular destination for passengers using budget airlines is Spain or the United Kingdom. A total of 29 percent of the budget airline passengers flew to and from Spain. The United Kingdom and Italy were in second and third place.

Travelers flying with traditional airlines often flew to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany in 2024.