UK still the largest market.
In August 2022, the airports in the Autonomous Region of Madeira registered “a movement of 457.5 thousand passengers, transported in 3,116 aircraft (commercial flights), translating year-on-year variations of 38.5% and 24.8%, respectively”, reports the Regional Directorate of Statistics (DREM). “When compared to August 2019 (pre-pandemic), there was also a growth of 32.2% in passenger movement and 24.8% (identical to the same period) in aircraft movement”, he adds.
On the day of the European Statistics Day, DREM begins the monthly dissemination of rapid air transport statistics (information that INE also released earlier this week, with global data from national airports).
fuller planes
According to DREM, “each aircraft (considering those that landed and took off together) carried an average of around 151 passengers (137 in August 2021), at Madeira Airport, while at Porto Santo that figure did not exceed 112 passengers. (96 in the same month)”, both positive, therefore.
This month, “the movement of domestic and international passengers at RAM airports recorded very similar positive year-on-year variations, of 37.8% and 39.3%, respectively”, highlights the DREM. “Compared to the same period before the pandemic (2019), domestic traffic grew by 43.4% and international traffic by 22.5%”.
In the specific case of Madeira Airport, “passenger traffic is evenly distributed between domestic traffic (47.7% of the total) and international traffic (52.3%), a trend that has been observed since July 2021 “, he points out, a balance that is related to “the reestablishment of the demand for international flights”, he explains. “At Porto Santo Airport there is a significant predominance of domestic traffic, with values exceeding three quarters of total traffic (83.1% of the total)”.
As mentioned, occupancy is high. “In August 2022, the occupancy of aircraft handled at RAM airports was around 88.1%, with Madeira Airport reaching 89.0% and Porto Santo 78.8%. In the same period of the year In the past, the occupancy rate was slightly lower, at 81.7%, 82.4% and 75.0%, in the same order”, he assures.
UK to grow.
By outbound markets, “in the first eight months of 2022, the United Kingdom was the main country of origin and destination for international flights from RAM airports (35.3% of the total), followed by Germany (22.7%) and France (8.2%)”, says the regional statistical authority.
“In the IATA Winter (International Air Transport Association), from October 31, 2021 to March 26, 2022, Madeira Airport operated commercial (regular) flights from 25 airlines, with 48 routes to 44 destinations”, while ” at Porto Santo Airport, commercial flights were carried out with a single route, with an airline and with one destination”, that is, Madeira-Porto Santo-Madeira.