Sharp drop in passenger numbers threatening to airlines

The main airports in Scotland saw a decline in passenger numbers by nearly a half million in a ten month period, demonstrating a reversal of the expansion trend in air travel and indicating another area in which the Scottish economy is being adversely affected.

Civil Aviation Authority statistics for the January-October 2008 period show that the country’s five largest airports handled 20.5 million passengers, which was the first sustained decline in the past 10 years.

An analysis of the figures indicates that 56 destinations had been cut by airlines by October and that only 40 new routes were introduced during the period, meaning a net loss of 16 routes overall.

The reductions in capacity by airlines were a result of the soaring costs of fuel earlier in 2008 that lead to the failure of operators such Seguro Holidays and XL Leisure, which left thousands of their customers stranded on holidays overseas.

Passenger traffic at Scotland’s busiest airports - Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Prestwick – dropped off more sharply in November, and industry experts are saying that the economic downturn in the UK is certain to add more pressure to airlines during 2009.

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce head of policy, Garry Clark, has warned that the reduction in routes at the country’s major airports, and in flight frequencies, could have a negative impact on the ability of Scottish businesses to compete internationally.

www.caa.co.uk