I guess you are referring to
this article from 21 September last year? Also be fair to the mayor, the 400k passengers would have been prior to the omicron outbreak which has clearly set the industry back again.
But's let's assume that covid had disappeared, was the 400k passenger target for 2022 even realistic?
- Amsterdam: 112,000 (36 flights a week each way x 60 pax)
- Heathrow: 75,000 (36 flights a week x 40 pax)
- Aberdeen: 20,000 (22 flights a week x 18 pax)
- Belfast: 12,500 (12 flights a week x 20 pax)
- Southampton: 12,500 (12 flights a week x 20 pax)
- Bristol: 12,500 (12 flights a week x 20 pax)
- Newquay: 3,000 (2022 plus a bit of growth)
- Jersey: 2,500 (historical average)
- Ryanair summer (4 destinations): 50,000 (12 flights a week in the Summer x 160 pax)
- Ryanair winter (Mallorca): 16,500 (4 flights a week in the Winter x 160 pax)
- TUI: 16,500 (4 flights a week in the Summer x 160 pax)
- Jets Go: 8,000 (2 flights a week in the Summer x 160 pax)
- Bourgas: 10,500 (4 flights a week for a 17 week season x 160 pax)
- Lourdes/Santa/Italy charters: 2,000
- Other business/football charters: 2,000
I think this guesswork is very optimistic but it still adds up to 356,000 passengers. Assuming there was some science behind the 400k target, I wonder what additional services the airport was expecting?