Slight decrease in Airport passengers for October as expected - Airport Press Release
Isle of Man Airport passenger numbers for last month were slightly under 1% down when compared with October 2010, breaking a run of six months when increases have been recorded. However, the small decrease of 575 passengers was very much as the Airport had predicted, as the previous October had been the strongest month for Airport passenger growth for the whole of 2010. In total, 63,093 passengers passed through the Airport last month, just 0.9% less than October last year.
Airport Director, Ann Reynolds confirmed that the October result has actually given some grounds for optimism although she is disappointed with the figures. "A year ago when we were predicting the passenger throughput for 2011, as with many businesses, it was impossible for us to foresee the flat nature of the UK economy throughout this year - and it is this that predominantly drives air travel to and from the Isle of Man," she said. "The result has been that throughout most of 2011, our traffic has been about 5% below that expected, but the most recent months have seen slight, but consistent, improvements. Thus, despite the slight decrease, I am very pleased that the October traffic has reached the level where it precisely matched our original predictions, however I know that the airlines were also hoping for more passengers."
The summer charter operations which concluded in October again injected a significant boost to the overall figure with a 39% increase for the month. Since May, almost 2,100 additional charter passengers have benefited from the wide choice of direct flights to the Mediterranean flown directly from the Island. The daily flights to Southampton and onwards to Brussels also helped to boost traffic. Traffic to and from Liverpool again increased by about 10% with both Flybe and easyJet notching up increases in passengers, however some of these additional passengers were likely to have been ferry passengers when bad weather prevented some of the island sailings. Manx2.com also had a good month with Belfast, Blackpool and Gloucester all seeing increases and every one of their five routes from the Island operating over 60% full. The Blue Islands Jersey service also recorded a 4% increase.
"Looking ahead, we recognise that this winter will be another tough one for our airlines, as the UK economy shows little sign of recovery," added Ann. "We have already received notification of some cutbacks in schedules over the winter period, but I'm delighted to say that all of our routes have remained intact, including the Flybe Southampton/Brussels link which is now operating over the winter season for the first time. This service, not only providing daily flights to the heart of Southern England, but a direct link through to the European capital is an important part of our network, and we hope that it will be well supported throughout the winter."
Departmental Member for Ports, David Collister, said he is in no doubt about the importance of maintaining the comprehensive air service network that the Island has built up, and is pleased to see the continuation of all of the Island's routes into 2012. "I am in no doubt about the fundamental importance of creating and retaining the best possible network of air services for the Island," he said. "Direct air services are the very lifeblood of our economy, and in particular our tourism industry and I am delighted that our airlines have continued to support and maintain the Island’s routes throughout the recent difficult few years. We will be working with them over the coming months and years to support and hopefully expand our 19 scheduled service routes."