Originally Posted by
jorvik
Is that article code for “the passenger side really isn’t working, we are throwing good money after bad paying airlines”
The passenger side is working out. Before Covid hit it was seeing good growth with an extra 10k passengers in 2019 without any extra routes, 148k for 2019. This growth would of continued into 2020 and boomed when the new routes started in 2020 so we could have been looking at around 350k for 2020 and 500k for 2021 if Covid hadn't hit.
KLM over the last month or so should start to see an increase in numbers as they moved the flight forward from an evening flight to a dinnertime flight. In 2019 KLM had 2 return flights a day to Amsterdam and had monthlty figures of 10-11k, two morning flights to Amsterdam. So it was obviously going to be lower numbers just operating a teatime flight over recent months since its return. Thus missing all the travel and business markets. When KLM return to full timetable there will be 3 return flights a day.
Aberdeen was only about 1500 passengers a month in 2019 with 2 day return flights. Numbers increased significantly during summer 2021 when it saw Logan & Eastern operate flights providing competition on the route. So as can be seen that Aberdeen route could significantly increase numbers if more flights operate or that bigger aircraft are used to help reduce cost units so more cheaper fares could be had.
Figures could still be sluggish this January due to international travel restrictions in other countries which will damper demand for travel. We just need for all Covid travel restrictions to be lifted globally and confidence return before able to make a real assesment as to how Teesside Airport is doing passenger wise.
The airport has huge amount of land available to be utilised. So this new development with Willis is in no way saying that passenger side isn't really working. It is about the airport increasing diversification of activities to increase revenue streams.
Teesside has faired better than other airports during the pandemic because of the lower starting point so there wasn't much of a fall to be had. Also different aviation activities that are based at the airport, such as Cobham/ Draken and IAS Medical flights. The more diversified aviation activities you have the better the airport can survive in hard times. Some airports closed and became parking lots, whereas Teesside because of the diversification of activities has been an active airport all year round.