GLASGOW Airport enjoyed its busiest July in five years, with domestic and international traffic showing solid year-on-year gains, as Edinburgh celebrated its achievement of attracting more than one million passengers in a single month, figures show.
Aberdeen International Airport also achieved a solid year-on-year rise in passenger numbers in July.
Figures published yesterday by Glasgow Airport, owned by the LHR Airports operation known formerly as BAA, showed more than 832,000 passengers had travelled through its doors in July. This represented an increase of 5.4% on July last year.
Glasgow Airport managing director Amanda McMillan declared that, aside from the usual seasonal uplift in traffic, there had been a "marked increase" in the number of people choosing to fly from Glasgow during the past two months. And she predicted strong August passenger numbers on the back of Glasgow's hosting of the World Pipe Band Championships and UDO World Street Dance Championships.
The airport said it had benefited from strong demand from holidaymakers and a solid performance by a number of Glasgow's long-haul routes, including Emirates' Dubai service, and United and US Airways' direct flights to America.
It added that these factors had contributed to a 3.7% year-on-year increase in international traffic.
Domestic traffic at Glasgow Airport was up by 8% year-on-year in July. This jump in July domestic traffic was attributed by the airport to the performance of British Airways' London routes and Flybe's UK regional services. The airport also cited a boost from Celtic's Champions League qualifiers against Belfast side Cliftonville.
Ms McMillan said: "The summer season is always a busy time for the airport but there has been a marked increase in the number of people choosing to fly from Glasgow over the course of the past two months."
She added: "We have enjoyed consistent passenger growth since January 2011, which underlines the progress we are making in terms of securing new routes and services. It is particularly pleasing to see our domestic traffic perform so well and, with Glasgow hosting events such as the World Pipe Band Championships and UDO World Street Dance Championships, we are looking forward to a busy August."
Edinburgh Airport, which was bought by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) last year and was formerly part of BAA, said yesterday that more passengers had passed through its doors in July than in any other month on record. It recorded 1,082,938 passengers last month - up 13.1% on July 2012.
Domestic passenger numbers at Edinburgh last month totalled 448,442 - up 12.8% on July 2012. Edinburgh's international passenger numbers amounted to 634,496 in July - up 13.3% on the same month of last year.
Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: "We're over the moon with this achievement. (It) is testament not only to the hard work of all at Edinburgh Airport - my team, our airlines and handling agents and other partners - but to the real culture shift that has happened since the airport was bought by GIP last summer."
He added: "Handling over a million passengers in a month is difficult, and it has been challenging. We've had the equivalent of the population of Stirling through our doors every day. It's a challenge we relish, and we're looking forward to being challenged in this way on a regular basis."
Back in August 2004, Glasgow became the first airport in Scotland to handle more than one million passengers in a single month. Edinburgh, following rapid growth in recent years, now describes itself as "Scotland's busiest".
Aberdeen International Airport said yesterday that 335,631 people used its terminal last month - up 6.8% on July 2012. It achieved year-on-year growth in both the fixed-wing and helicopter sectors, and in domestic and international traffic.
Carol Benzie, commercial director at Aberdeen International Airport, said: "We continue to work hard to secure... new routes for summer 2014."
Thomson and First Choice said last month that they would in summer 2014 be more than doubling their capacity at Aberdeen.
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