Snapshot of Air Traffic: Maximum and Minimum Aircraft in the Sky in 2024
In 2024, air traffic reached notable highs and lows, offering a fascinating glimpse into global and European flight patterns. According to data from EUROCONTROL, the highest number of airborne aircraft within a 15-minute interval occurred on 6 September 2024, between 11:30 and 11:45 (UTC), with 4,577 flights in the sky, marking the peak for the entire 2019-2024 period. This represents more than half a million people traveling through the air at once.
Interestingly, the peak traffic day in 2024 occurred on 14 June, when 35,710 flights took off, surpassing the September peak by around 440 flights. The lowest number of flights in the EUROCONTROL area was recorded on 1 January, between 01:00-01:15, with just 412 airborne flights. However, the minimum for the year excluding holidays was on 21 February, with 430 flights between 00:45 and 01:00.
Globally, the highest air traffic during a 15-minute interval in 2024 occurred on 11 July, with 14,913 flights, almost three times higher than the peak seen in the EUROCONTROL area. The worldwide low, recorded on 3 November, saw just 7,557 flights between 04:45 and 05:00.
These numbers highlight the intense fluctuations in air traffic, with daily peak-to-low differences particularly prominent in short to medium-haul European flights, compared to global hubs like Dubai or Singapore, where such disparities are much larger.
Sources:
- EUROCONTROL Traffic Data Report 2024
