Highlands and Islands Airports Limited

Passenger numbers at airports in the Highlands and Islands have reached an all time high in the past 11 months, according to figures published today.

The airports are now on target to record their busiest ever operating year to the end of March 2008. In 2006/07 HIAL’s airports handled a record 1.233 million passengers.

A total of 87,612 passengers travelled via HIAL’s 10 airports in the north and west of Scotland in February, representing a 2.5% increase on February 2007.

The 11 month running total of passengers at HIAL’s airports now stands at 1,170,888 or 3.6% up on performance in 2006/07. HIAL’s airports have handled 94,500 aircraft movements over the same period, a 1.4% increase on the previous year.

The fastest growing airports in the region this year have been Kirkwall and Sumburgh with growth of 9.1% and 13.9% respectively.

Dundee Airport, which transferred to HIAL on 1 December 2007, saw 3,322 passengers use it during February. The airport’s 11 month running total now stands at 61,176, a 26% increase on the previous year. The airport handled more than 32,000 aircraft movements in the past 11 months.

HIAL believes that the year ahead will prove to be even busier with a range of new services coming on stream from the end of March. New developments confirmed for 2008/09 include:

• Sumburgh to Bergen with Loganair
• Dundee to Belfast City and Birmingham with Loganair
• Holiday charters from Inverness to Jersey and Spain’s Costa Dorada
• Inverness to Birmingham, Exeter, Manchester and Southampton with Flybe

Inglis Lyon, managing director of HIAL, said: “This will be our busiest year ever and the foundations for further growth in 2008/09 are already in place with Loganair increasing frequency in its network, summer flights from Shetland to London and Bergen, new Loganair services at Dundee plus new charter operations and additional scheduled services at Inverness, our largest airport.

“Air transport plays an essential role in our region’s economic and social life due to our geographic remoteness and the lack of alternative travel modes that offer the same time efficiency. We continue to focus our efforts with our airline partners and stakeholders on ensuring that air connectivity delivers the accessibility that our communities, businesses, tourists and inward investors need,” said Mr Lyon.

* Dundee Airport transferred to HIAL on 1 December 2007 and is operated by Dundee Airport Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of HIAL.