Dhaka, April 7 -- Air travel across Europe continues to expand, but connectivity within the region is increasingly under strain, as fewer airlines serve a growing number of routes.

Passenger traffic in Europe rose 26 percent in 2025 compared with 2016, supported by a network of around 22,000 routes. Long-haul connectivity has seen particularly strong growth, with more airlines operating flights beyond Europe and a sharp rise in routes to Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

However, the regional market tells a different story. While intra-European routes increased by 15 percent over the same period, the number of airlines operating them fell by nearly 9 percent. Carriers focused solely on European services have declined significan...