The number of flights increased by 48 percent in August compared to August last year, but there is still some way to go before flying is back to pre-pandemic levels – and now there is a risk of another setback.

–The recession is getting closer and both households and companies are being pressured by increased costs, and this creates very poor conditions for aviation and the travel industry. There is a great risk that both business trips and vacations will only be put on hold when the money is not enough, says Carl Bergkvist.

During August, 27,785 flights took off or landed at Swedish airports. Arlanda, which accounts for 60 percent of all flights in Sweden, had 16,386 flights, which was an increase of 71 percent compared to August last year. This is according to recent travel statistics from the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce produced via Eurocontrol.

Despite a large increase from the previous year, there are fewer flights compared to before the pandemic. For all of Sweden, the number of flights was 21 percent fewer than in August 2019, and for Arlanda the corresponding drop was 18 percent, which is in line with other Nordic and European airports.

“Air travel is important for a country far up north and we need to attract more airlines to start new routes to Stockholm. Good air connections are part of what strengthens our attractiveness,” says Carl Bergkvist, business policy expert at the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. 

According to the press release.