Air travel to Stockholm-Arlanda and Stockholm-Bromma Airports rose by five per cent in November, compared to the same month last year. International traffic increased by ten per cent, while domestic traffic decreased by three per cent.
A total of 1,700,212 people travelled to or from Stockholm-Arlanda and Stockholm-Bromma during November 2007. Of these, 1,056,494 were international passengers and 643,718 domestic.
Broken down by airport, Stockholm-Arlanda’s international traffic was up ten per cent and Stockholm-Bromma’s four per cent. Stockholm-Arlanda’s domestic traffic was down six per cent while Stockholm-Bromma saw the same downturn, six per cent.
In relative terms, long-haul traffic is growing the most. A few examples are passengers to Bangkok (Thailand), +40 per cent; Phuket (Thailand), +60 per cent; and Beijing (China), +132 per cent. Since last year, Scandinavian Airlines has started new non-stop service to Bangkok and Beijing and Qatar Airways to Doha (Qatar). In June 2008, Delta Air Lines will open a non-stop route to Atlanta (US).
“There is heavy demand for intercontinental travel. LFV Stockholm-Arlanda is working together with other market players in the Stockholm region to persuade more airlines to open new routes to Stockholm, thereby benefiting the hospitality industry. This will both help the economy and promote social and cultural exchange,” says Niclas Härenstam, Manager Press Relations, LFV Stockholm Division. LFV is the state enterprise that owns and operates Sweden’s major airports.
“The downturn in domestic travel is due, among other things, to the disappearance of the airline FlyMe since last year, which has created a certain capacity shortage to such major destinations as Gothenburg and Malmö,” Mr Härenstam says.
Although travellers have become more numerous, the number of take-offs and landings at the two LFV Stockholm airports declined by one per cent compared to November 2006. This means that on average, aircraft are now carrying more passengers, which benefits both the environment and airline profitability.
Top ten destinations (number of passengers, Stockholm-Arlanda and Stockholm-Bromma)
Gothenburg, Copenhagen (Denmark), Malmö, Oslo (Norway), London (UK), Helsinki (Finland), Luleå, Umeå, Amsterdam (Netherlands), Frankfurt (Germany).
Top ten airlines (number of passengers, Stockholm-Arlanda and Stockholm-Bromma)
SAS, Malmö Aviation, FlyNordic, Sterling, Skyways, Blue1, Lufthansa, British Airways, Finnair, KLM.