Increasing demand for international flights to and from Scotland saw passenger numbers at BAA Scotland`s three airports hit a new high…
Increasing demand for international flights to and from Scotland saw passenger numbers at BAA Scotland`s three airports hit a new high last month.
Figures released by the airport operator show that 1,951,751 passengers used Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen Airports in September, a rise of 5% on the same month last year.
In the 12 months to September, the three airports handled over 19.9 million passengers, up 5.3% on the previous year.
Glasgow Airport was Scotland`s busiest airport last month with 901,177 passengers. An increase in international traffic, up 5.3%, saw overall passenger numbers jump by 2.1% on the previous year.
Long haul services from Glasgow Airport faired well, with Orlando, New York and Dubai the best performing routes. Prague was the fastest growing European destination, followed by Barcelona, Las Palmas and Faro. On the domestic front Stansted, Belfast International and Southampton recorded the strongest growth.
In the year to September, Glasgow Airport handled almost 8.8 million passengers, up 3.8% on the same point last year.
International travel was again the major driver of growth at Edinburgh Airport where overall passenger numbers grew by 6.9% to 782,662. The number of international passengers rose by 12.9% with Barcelona, Nice and Copenhagen the best performing overseas routes.
In the year to September, the Capital`s airport handled almost 8.4 million passengers, a rise of 6.2% on the same month last year.
Aberdeen Airport, BAA Scotland`s fastest growing airport, handled 267,912 passengers last month, up 10% on the previous year.
The number of international passengers rose by 16%, with Bergen, Esbjerg and Palma the fastest growing international destinations. Southampton, Newcastle and Sumburgh were the best performing domestic routes.
The massive rise in international traffic helped push Aberdeen Airport`s annual passenger total over the 2.8 million mark for the first time. In the year to September, passenger numbers grew by 8.2%.
Donal Dowds, managing director of BAA Scotland, said: At all three airports, the picture is extremely positive, with international traffic growing substantially. Clearly, our airports will need to expand to meet that demand and BAA Scotland will deliver the necessary investment, some
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
