Airports celebrating busiest June on record
GLASGOW and Edinburgh airports have both enjoyed their busiest June on record, but Aberdeen continued to feel the effects of cost-cutting in the oil and gas sector.
Passenger numbers at Glasgow Airport totalled 905,689 in June, up by 14.2 per cent on the same month of last year.
The airpor t cited increased demand on budget airline Ryanair’s European routes, and high loads on WestJet and American Airlines’ transatlantic services.
It also flagged strong demand for Emirates’ services between Glasgow and Dubai.
International passenger numbers at Glasgow totalled 532,430 last month, up by 15.6 per cent on June 2014.
Gla sgow’s domestic passenger total in June, at 373,259, was up 12.2 per cent on the same month of last year.
This rise was driven by increased demand for services between Glasgow and London operated by British Airways, easyJet, and Ryanair.
And Glasgow Airport expects passenger numbers to be boosted this month by major golf and swimming events.
Amanda McMi l la n , managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: “June has always been a busy month at the airport with the arrival of the school holidays, but this year we were busier than ever as we continue to enjoy unprecedented levels of growth in our passenger numbers.”
She added: “This month is set to be even busier as the city hosts the IPC Swimming World Championships, and we will also welcome visitors from across the globe for the
Scottish and British Opens at Gullane and St Andrews.”
Edinburgh Airpor t achieved not only its busiest ever June, but also its secondbest month on record.
Its passenger numbers totalled 1.099 million in June, up 10.6 per cent on the same month of 2014.
Edinburgh’s June domestic passenger total, at 475,977, was up by 9.9 per cent on the same month of last year, with services to and from London with Ryanair, Flybe and BA CityFlyer providing a boost. And international passenger numbers at Edinburgh last month totalled 622,882, up by 11.1 per cent on June 2014.
Edinburgh Airport cited increased services to Paris, Amsterdam, Milan, Nice, Berlin and Madrid with easyJet, and to Dublin, Rome and Barcelona with Ryanair.
It added that long-haul routes to New York JFK with American Airlines, a new daily service to Doha with Qatar Airways and the launch of Etihad Airways’ flights between Edinburgh and Abu Dhabi had all contributed to strong growth in international passenger numbers.
Aberdeen International Airport’s passenger numbers totalled 323,832 last month, down 5.7 per cent on June 2014. Helicopter traffic was down 7.6 per cent on June 2014. Fixed-wing traffic showed a year-on-year decline of 5.4 per cent.
Managing director Carol Benzie said: “We have seen a reduction...across both fixedwing and helicopter traffic... as the oil and gas sector continues in its cost-efficiency drive and the impacts are felt across the region.
“We also recognise that 2014 was a record year.”