INTERNATIONAL. All airports in the Macquarie Airports (MAp) portfolio recorded a positive year-on-year growth in September, with a continuing recovery in Asian passenger numbers.
Macquarie Airports ceo Kerrie Mather commented: “All five airports in the MAp portfolio have recorded positive traffic growth when compared with the previous corresponding period.
“Total Sydney traffic increased by +8.1% year-on-year. In particular, MAp notes the continuing recovery in Asian passenger numbers, the region most impacted by SARS earlier this year. For example, the passenger numbers for China have moved into positive growth of +6% year-on-year for the first time since March 2003.
“MAp’s UK airports, Birmingham and Bristol, reported double digit growth of +11.2% and +13.0% respectively. Birmingham recorded its busiest September since opening and Bristol was buoyed by the introduction of new services from easyJet. In addition easyJet, FlyBE and Air South West airlines operating from Bristol airport have each announced they will be offering new services over the coming months.
“Rome airports’ traffic growth of +8.2% was underpinned by the increase in intra-EU traffic of +14.5%. The growth in intra-EU traffic was driven by the on-going expansion of low-fare services at Ciampino and underlying demand growth at Fiumicino,” Mather added.
Sydney International Airport
Overall traffic at Sydney airport for September increased by +8.1% year-on-year, with international passengers growing by +6.0%.
Australian travellers, Sydney’s largest group of travellers, increased +2.0% year-on-year and New Zealand travellers grew by +7.0%.
Passenger numbers for Asian routes overall in September improved compared to August. China routes moved into growth for the first time since SARS. The growth for China was +6.0% (compared to a year-on-year -29.0% drop in August), South Korea grew strongly by +29.0% and Taiwan grew by +34.0% year-on-year. Japan routes, though still a minus figure, showed steady improvement, up from -31.0% down in August to -15.0% down in September year-on-year.
The UK traffic grew +4.0% and the US grew +1.0% year-on-year.
Sydney airport welcomed the launch in September of Sydney’s newest airline, Air Paradise, with services to Bali.
Year-to-date, international passenger traffic at Sydney grew by +6.0% year-on-year in September.
Aeroporti di Roma
In September 2003, Rome airports’ traffic continued to experience steady growth. September traffic was up +8.2% year-on-year.
The overall improvement was comprised of a +5.7% increase in Fiumicino airport and a +63.4% increase at Ciampino airport.
Intra EU traffic increased by +14.5%, driven by the continuing rapid growth of low-fare services at Ciampino and underlying demand growth at Fiumicino. Extra-EU traffic was up +5.3%, reflecting increasing traveller confidence.
Hapag Lloyd Express has announced that it will introduce a daily service to Stuttgart from Ciampino this winter. In Addition, Ryanair has announced that it will increase its daily services to Brussels Charleroi from Ciampino to two daily from November.
Birmingham International Airport
September 2003 was Birmingham’s busiest September in the history of the airport. Overall, Birmingham’s traffic grew by +11.2% over September 2002.
International scheduled traffic rose by +21.1% with intra-EU traffic growing by +27.0%, again reflecting the impact of new low-fare services. Traffic to the Indian sub-continent increased by +9.9% year-on-year.
Charter traffic was +1.7% above last year with strong growth on services to Tunisia (up +26.8% on September 2002) and services to Greece (+21%), Turkey (+6.8%) and the Canary Islands (+6.7).
The winter season will see the start of eight new scheduled routes to Almeria, Cologne, Gerona, Helsinki, Inverness, Oslo, Salzburg and Tenerife.
Bristol International Airport
In September 2003 Bristol traffic was up +13.0% year-on-year.
International scheduled flights increased by +21.8% driven by continued low-fare growth, together with the three times daily Air France service to Paris Charles De Gaulle airport.
Charter traffic rose by +1.3%, reflecting an improvement on the early summer period.
easyJet has announced an additional flight between Bristol and Newcastle from December 11 2003, increasing weekly flights from 14 to 19. FlyBE is launching a daily service to Toulouse from 23 October and plans to launch more low-fare services from Bristol to destinations including Bordeaux, Bergerac and Murcia from March 2004.
