More than one million passengers used airports in the Highlands and Islands in the past nine months.
Passenger numbers at Highlands and Islands Airports increased by 4% to the end of December 2007, totalling 1,000,804, according to figures published today.
The Scottish Government owned airport operator is on target to record its busiest ever year to the end of March 2008.
Aircraft movements for the same period totalled 80,000 which is comparable to last year’s figure.
Dundee Airport, which transferred to HIAL on 1 December 2007, saw 3,310 passengers use it in the month which brought its nine month running total to 54,563, a 34% increase on the previous year. The airport handled almost 29,000 aircraft movements in the past nine months.
Inglis Lyon, managing director of HIAL, said: “This is our seventh consecutive year of growth. Despite the recent news that bmi will cease its Inverness to Heathrow link at the end of March, we are still on track for our busiest ever year with passenger increases across all but one of our airports to date.
“With Flybe expanding the range of destinations it offers from Inverness in the spring, Loganair’s new franchise agreement with Flybe coming into effect in October and Loganair’s introduction of a service between Norway and Shetland in June we expect further growth in the year ahead.
“That said it remains the case that our region must support its air links and capitalise on the economic and social opportunities they provide. This is the best means of ensuring that they remain viable and develop in line with demand,” said Mr Lyon.
|
HIAL Passengers December 2007 (Month 9 of 12)
|
|
Airports
|
Monthly Total
2007/08
|
Monthly Total 2006/07
|
Monthly Total % Change
|
Running
Total 2007/08
|
Running
Total 2006/07
|
Total
% Change
|
Year Totals
2006/07
|
|
Barra
|
617
|
675
|
-8.6
|
8,656
|
8,300
|
4.3
|
10,083
|
|
Benbecula
|
2,683
|
2,850
|
-5.9
|
28,402
|
27,723
|
2.4
|
36,731
|
|
Campbeltown
|
649
|
511
|
27.0
|
8,024
|
7,692
|
4.3
|
9,479
|
|
Inverness
|
47,543
|
48,842
|
-2.7
|
562,502
|
550,637
|
2.2
|
698,885
|
|
Islay
|
1,693
|
1,868
|
-9.4
|
23,583
|
22,717
|
3.8
|
28,472
|
|
Kirkwall
|
10,863
|
9,781
|
11.1
|
115,859
|
105,759
|
9.6
|
137,769
|
|
Stornoway
|
10,478
|
10,077
|
4.0
|
100,114
|
97,055
|
3.2
|
126,058
|
|
Sumburgh
|
12,596
|
11,942
|
5.5
|
127,389
|
112,315
|
13.4
|
145,044
|
|
Tiree
|
566
|
556
|
1.8
|
6,321
|
5,875
|
7.6
|
7,570
|
|
Wick
|
2,147
|
2,235
|
-3.9
|
19,954
|
25,071
|
-20.4
|
32,691
|
|
Totals
|
89,835
|
89,337
|
0.6
|
1,000,804
|
963,144
|
3.9
|
1,232,782
|
|
Dundee*
|
3,310
|
3,317
|
-
|
54,563
|
40,827
|
34
|
53,083
|
* Dundee Airport transferred to HIAL on 1 December 2007 and is operated by Dundee Airport Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of HIAL.
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