The total number of passengers transported by air in the EU27 rose by 0.6% in 2008, compared with 2007, to 798 million. This was the lowest annual growth rate in the EU since 2002. Quarterly data for 2008 help to evaluate the impact of the economic crisis on air transport, and show a declining trend through the year. Passenger numbers rose by 6.1% in the first quarter of 2008, compared with the same quarter of 2007, and by 3.0% in the second quarter, then they fell by 0.4% in the third quarter and by 5.6% in the fourth quarter.