Taxis at European Airports More Popular Due to Corona

Expensive rental cars and public transportation avoided

LONDON, AUGUST 25, 2021. COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the aviation sector in Europe. Not only in the air, also on the ground. A study by AirMundo.com shows that travellers increasingly opt for a taxi for the journey to and from the airport, especially at holiday destinations. The growing popularity of taxis is caused by the corona crisis, which has resulted in higher prices for rental cars and a reduced sense of safety in public transport. Taxis are gaining ground at European airports as a result.

The Airport Taxi Report Summer 2021 ‘Taxi fares at European airports’ compares the taxi rates at the 50 busiest airports in Europe. The report offers travellers an insight into the average prices for an airport taxi ride to the city centre. Prices of pre-booked taxis are not included in the comparison.

Rental cars too expensive

For rental car providers 2020 was a disastrous year. Because there was hardly any demand suppliers were forced to sell a large part of their fleet. Now a year later, this is causing problems, because demand exceeds the supply. In addition, there are relatively few new cars on the market due to the global chip shortage. As a result of the scarcity of rental cars, renting a car is much more expensive than usual these days.

Public transport too crowded

Even though things are slowly moving in the right direction in Europe, some people are still hesitant to move in large groups or to be close to other people. Public transport can create an unsafe feeling and is therefore still avoided by some travellers. A taxi ride is more expensive than a ride on public transportation, however (the sense of) safety wins out over costs more often than before.

Taxis popular at European airports

The figures speak for themselves according to Guus Wantia, owner of AirMundo.com. “Europe is recovering. There is a growing demand for airline tickets, accommodations, transport and activities in comparison to 2020. The growth in the number of bookings for taxi rides to and from airports in Europe stands out.” Higher prices for rental cars and the lack of privacy in public transportation are obvious reasons. For taxi companies, the increasing demand from tourists and travellers comes at the right moment, as they partly make up for the lack of business travellers.

“It is impossible to say whether taxis at airports will remain a popular means of transport among the average holidaymaker in the future. The fact is that taxis are now used by a larger group of people. On the other hand, prices for rental cars will fall again, as will the concerns of travellers about travelling by public transportation to and from the airport,” says Guus Wantia of AirMundo.com.

Average price of 41 euros

In Europe, the average price for a taxi from the airport to the city centre is 41 EUR, for a taxi journey of 34 minutes on average. Compared to two years ago (Airport Taxi Report Summer 2019, pre-COVID), taxis at airports in Russia and Turkey have become cheaper, due to the depreciation of the Russian ruble and Turkish lira against the euro.

Taxi fares at top 50 busiest airports in Europe

* Taxi prices checked at 17-08-2021, exchange rate of 18-08-2021

Airport Taxi Report Summer 2021 ‘Taxi fares at European airports’
AirMundo.com semi-annually compares taxi prices at the 50 busiest airports in Europe (summer and winter reports). Comparisons are made based on both the taxi ride fare and the price per kilometre. For airports close to the city centre, the taxi fare is a preferable comparison, since the prices are lower due to the shorter distance travelled. For airports that are further from the city centre, the price per kilometre is a more favourable comparison, because the price per kilometre decreases as the distance increases. Note: The report was not published in the summer of 2020 and the winter of 2021 due to the corona crisis.