Problemy Transportu i Logistyki

Analysis of the “open skies” agreement indicates that it is based on the basic theories of international trade. It provides that the full liberalization of the international air transport market will increase the efficiency of the system and provide additional benefits to all market participants. An inherent consequence of liberalization is the creation of increased competition on the market and thus often leads to the creation of new products. That is how low-cost airlines were created, which have begun to offer solutions uncommon at classical carriers. Experiences in Europe show that deregulation of the air transport market has led to a slight increase of competition between traditional carriers and in the case of a low-cost airlines market has resulted in a short time that the demand for passenger transport and airport infrastructure was developing. The main aim of this article is an analysis of changes in the volume of air passenger traffic at European airports in years 2010–2015. The analysis shows that the most important European airports, due to the tendency of development, can be divided into two main groups. To the group of declining trends should be included a part of the Spanish ports, the Cypriot ports and the port of Kos. In the second group with increased trend in the number of passengers are other airports. Utmost importance for their development have charter flights. However, on the example of Poland can be observed their weakening impact on the volume of passenger traffic. In Poland in 2015 their contribution decreased to 15.5% of the total number of passengers. Great importance for the number of passengers using air transport is characterized by connections offered by the so-called low cost airlines. The largest of the low-cost carriers have gained more than 60% share in the Polish market.