The traditional Christmas getaway saw passenger numbers at Scotland’s busiest airports reach a…
The traditional Christmas getaway saw passenger numbers at Scotland’s busiest airports reach a new December high.
Figures released by airport operator BAA Scotland show that Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen Airports handled 1.36 million passengers in December, a rise of 3.9% on the previous year.
Over the course of 2005, BAA Scotland’s three airports handled 20.1 million passengers, a rise of 4.6% on 2004. Domestic traffic grew by 3% through the year, while international traffic rose 7%.
In December, the growth in international traffic was even more substantial, up 14.1% on the previous year, as thousands of Scots took off for their winter break, and thousands more arrived in Scotland to celebrate the festive season.
Edinburgh Airport was Scotland’s busiest in December, handling 598,573 passengers, a rise of 3.5% on the previous year. International passenger numbers grew by 17.3%, with Prague, Hamburg and Amsterdam the fastest growing destinations. Passenger numbers on flights to and from New York were also substantially higher than the previous year. On the domestic front, Norwich, Birmingham and Manchester were the best performing routes. In 2005, Edinburgh Airport handled 8.4 million passengers, a rise of 5.6% on 2004.
Glasgow Airport recorded its busiest ever December with 536,639 passengers, a rise of 1.9% on the previous December. Again, international traffic increased as passengers took off for their sunshine breaks. Tenerife was the single most popular winter destination, with Alicante and Malaga also proving popular. Dublin, Reykjavik and Copenhagen were the best performing European routes. Dubai was the strongest long haul route. Southampton and Stansted were the best performing domestic services. In 2005, Glasgow Airport handled 8.8 million passengers, a rise of 2.5% on 2004.
Aberdeen Airport ended 2005 as BAA Scotland’s fastest growing airport with 229,088 passengers in December, up 10.4% on the previous year. International traffic grew by 28.2%. The Continent proved popular, with flights to Paris, Bergen and Copenhagen enjoying the strongest growth. Dublin, Amsterdam and Stavanger also performed well. Southampton was the fastest growing domestic service, followed by Bristol, Sumburgh and Birmingham. In 2005, Aberdeen Airport handled 2.8 million passengers, a rise of 8.4% on 2004.
Stephen Baxter, BAA Scotland’s new managing director said: “International travel is more popular today than ever before, and December’s traffic figures bear this out. Every one of our three airports recorded strong growth in international traffic, reflecting the increasing popularity of our expanding network of international routes. With new services to destinations across Europe, North Africa and the United States, we expect to see further growth in 2006.”
“We will invest to meet that growth because we want our passengers to enjoy the very best facilities and the highest standard of service. Major development programmes are underway at each of our airports which, when complete, will not only increase capacity, but provide a more relaxing and enjoyable experience for our growing number of passengers.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
