NETHERLANDS. The Groningen Eelde Airport, in northern Netherlands, has reported a record high in passenger traffic of 177,800 in 2003, up +20% year-on-year.
The rise was mainly attributed to the operations of the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair which started flying to the airport in May 2003, the airport director Jeroen Meulendijks said. Ryanair, which flies between the Dutch airport and London Stansted reported 42,000 passengers on the route in 2003.
The results of the Irish company at Groningen Eelde Airport compensated the -7.0% year-on-year decrease of holiday flights at the airport in 2003.
The number of flights at the airport stood at 55,000 in 2003, compared to 67,700 in 2002. The drop was mainly caused by the decrease in sports-related, training and business flights, due to the unfavourable economic developments and to the increase of airport tax.
