Airport enjoys surge in international passengers
GLASGOW Airport enjoyed a 4.9 per cent year-on-year rise in passenger numbers in August as thousands of athletes and officials returned home from the Commonwealth Games, its latest figures have shown.
The airport said yesterday that 782,374 passengers had travelled through its doors last month, with numbers also boosted by the World Pipe Band Championships and the UDO World Street Dance Championships. International passenger numbers at Glasgow Airport totalled 465,749 in August, up 8.9 per cent on the same month of last year. Domestic passenger numbers were down 0.5 per cent year-on-year at 316,625.
Glasgow Airport noted that it had enjoyed its busiest summer in six years, with nearly 2.5 million passengers passing through during June, July and August.
Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: “August was an extremely busy month for the airport and the city. We started the month by waving off the thousands of athletes who had descended on the city for the Commonwealth Games, which were a resounding success. This was quickly followed by events such as the World Pipe Band Championships and the UDO World Street Dance Championships, which attracted thousands of visitors to Glasgow.”
She added that, in spite of the increase in numbers, it had been one of Glasgow Airport’s best summers in terms of operational performance, with 99.6 per cent of passengers in June, July and August passing through security in less than 10 minutes.
Edinburgh Airport yesterday said its passenger numbers had totalled 1,065,783 in August, up 2.9 per cent on the same month of 2013.
Its domestic passenger numbers last month were down 1.9 per cent on August 2013, at 428,030. But it achieved a 6.4 per cent year-on-year rise in international passenger numbers to 637,753.
Aberdeen International Airport said 339,656 passengers had passed through its doors last month, up 8.8 per cent on August 2013.