GLASGOW Airport achieved a 12 per cent year-on-year leap in passenger numbers in August, boosted by strong growth in both international and domestic traffic, the latest figures have shown.
Edinburgh Airport also enjoyed solid year-on-year growth in passengers.
But Aberdeen International Airport suffered another year-on-year fall in traffic as the weakness of the oil and gas sector continued to depress passenger numbers.
Glasgow Airport was boosted by people travelling to the city for events including the World Pipe Band Championships. It also saw strong demand for European and long-haul routes, and for services to and from London.
The airport’s passenger numbers totalled 878,515 in August.
Glasgow Airport recorded a 10.7 per cent year-on-year rise in domestic passenger numbers to 350,420 in August.
Its international passenger numbers grew even more sharply, rising by 13.4 per cent year-on-year to 528,095.
Nearly three million passengers used Glasgow Airport during June, July and August. The airport noted that this had been its busiest summer in seven years.
Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: “August was an outstanding month. As well as unveiling new routes to Salzburg and Exeter, we officially opened our new £3.3 million east pier extension, [which] enables us to accommodate an additional 750,000 passengers per year.”
She added: “Yet again, August proved to be another busy month for Glasgow and we benefitted from the city’s continued success in attracting a series of major events.”
Ms McMillan noted these events had included the UDO Worlds X Street Dance Championships and the World Pipe Band Championships, as well as a number of international conferences.
Looking ahead, she highlighted the launch this month of a new Virgin Atlantic service between Glasgow and Las Vegas, and two new routes operated by budget carrier Wizz Air, to Vilnius in Lithuania and Lublin in Poland.
And Ms McMillan noted that the city would also welcome thousands of visitors for the Davis Cup tennis tournament at the Emirates Arena this month, declaring that this event “reinforces Glasgow’s position as a top sporting destination”.
Edinburgh Airport’s passenger numbers totalled 1.16 million in August, up by 8.7 per cent on the same month of last year. This marked the airport’s busiest-ever August.
Domestic passenger numbers, at 467,120 in August, were up by 8.9 per cent on the same month of last year.
Edinburgh Airport cited the beneficial impact of increased services to London with Ryanair and Flybe, and of easyJet’s Belfast service.
International passenger numbers, at 691,674 last month, were 8.5 per cent higher than in August 2014.
Edinburgh Airport noted the boost provided by increased services to Dublin.
It also cited the popularity of long-haul routes to New York JFK with American Airlines, to Doha with Qatar Airways, and to Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways.
Aberdeen International Airport’s passenger numbers totalled 321,442 last month.
Domestic passenger numbers were down by 8.5 per cent on the same month of last year. However, international passenger numbers were up 0.9 per cent on August 2014, boosted by summer charter flights and Wizz Air’s new route to Gdansk in Poland.
The airport noted that its helicopter traffic in August was down by 6.6 per cent on the same month of last year.
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