BAA’s airports handled 1.0% more passengers during September 2011 compared to the same month last year. Heathrow, which saw passenger numbers grow by 1.4%, experienced a record September for passengers, aircraft movements and the number of seats filled per plane.
At Heathrow, North Atlantic continued to be the fastest-growing market with a 3.5% increase in passengers, buoyed by a 5.4% increase in flights. In contrast a 10.5% drop in domestic services contributed to a 14.5% decline in passenger numbers on these routes. Both European scheduled and other long haul markets recorded passenger increases of 2.5%.
BAA’s Scottish airports maintained the solid performance experienced over the summer months. Edinburgh saw growth of 3.0% - its busiest September and seventh consecutive busiest month on record – and passenger numbers grew by 3.2% at Glasgow. Aberdeen continued its recent strong run of results with an increase of 11.3% on September 2010. This was partly down to the biannual oil expo conference held in the city.
At other BAA airports, Southampton recorded an increase in passenger numbers for the third consecutive month, with a rise of 0.7%. Planned cuts in services at Stansted resulted in a 4.0% drop in passenger volume; however the airport reported its highest-ever September load factor of 82.9%.
For the Group as a whole, air transport movements were unchanged on September 2010, but Heathrow saw an increase of 1.3%. Consistent with worldwide trends in the air freight market, which have been softening in line with the deceleration in world trade over the last six months, Heathrow and Group-wide cargo tonnage was down 3.7% on the same month last year.
Colin Matthews, BAA’s Chief Executive, said:
“Passenger numbers rose in September, with stronger growth across the Group than in July and August. Slightly softer Heathrow traffic in the latter part of September, vigilance in the near term from individual carriers and problems facing the European economy make us cautious about predicting traffic growth trends in the coming months. However, Heathrow is expected to demonstrate its previous resilience if a more challenging economic environment emerges.
“It is also important to distinguish between the recent growth in passenger numbers and the longer term picture for the UK. While existing routes are performing well, capacity constraints mean the UK is lagging behind in its connections to emerging market destinations - for example Paris and Frankfurt already boast 1,000 more annual flights to China’s three largest cities than Heathrow. The UK is not just missing out on flight connections, but the economic growth these links bring.”
For further information, please contact Heathrow media relations on 020 8745 7224.
Download BAA traffic statistics September 2011 (26KB PDF)
