BAA`s seven UK airports experienced their second busiest month on record this July, with…
BAA`s seven UK airports experienced their second busiest month on record this July, with a total of 13.2 million passengers, up 2.2% on the same month last year.
Unofficial strike action by BA`s check-in staff at Heathrow is estimated to have caused a net loss of 100,000 passengers at Heathrow. More modest strike-related losses at Glasgow and Edinburgh are thought to have been offset by a gain at Stansted. In the absence of strike action, it is estimated that BAA would have recorded an increase of 3% and seen its busiest month ever.
Among major markets, domestic traffic was affected most by the BA strike but still recorded an increase of 1.9%. European scheduled traffic was up by 6.9% while some of the early season cut backs in European charter capacity were restored in July. Following a fall of 11% in the European charter traffic in June, the busier month of July saw a drop of just 2.7%.
The recent gradual recovery in North Atlantic traffic was set back slightly by the strike, with a 2.9% decrease. Other long haul routes saw a recovery from the SARS and Iraqi War impacts, with a collective increase of 1.9%, the first monthly gain since February.
Amongst the individual airports, Heathrow traffic decreased 0.7% due to the strike. Gatwick, up 0.1%, was virtually unchanged on last year with a strong European scheduled performance. Stansted added 11.3%, while Southampton`s successful launch of new scheduled services resulted in growth of 78.6%. In Scotland, traffic at both Glasgow, up 3.6% and Edinburgh, up 5.4%, was reduced by the BA strike.
Despite the strike, the total number of air transport movements at BAA airports was up by 0.4% on last year but cargo tonnage fell by 7.7%, partly due to technical problems at BA`s Heathrow cargo facility and partly as a result of the BA strike.
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