Movement of passengers and flights at RAM airports records first drop in 34 months

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

Based on information from ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM) reports today that the movement of passengers and flights at the region’s two airports fell by 3.2% and 9.9% in January 2024, compared to the same month in 2023. This has not happened since the resumption of normal activity following the restrictions caused by covid-19  

“In the month in question, there was a movement of 312.9 thousand passengers at RAM airports, transported on 2,335 aircraft (commercial flights), translating year-on-year variations of -3.2% and -9.9%, respectively “, he assures. “It should be noted that this reduction in passenger movement interrupts a 34-month sequence of successive year-on-year growth in this indicator.”

Now, according to DREM, “each aircraft (considering together those that landed and took off) transported, on average, around 139 passengers (129 in January 2023), at Madeira airport, while at Porto Santo that value exceeded 65 passengers (63 in the same month)”.

In the month in question, “the movement of domestic and international passengers at RAM airports registered a negative year-on-year variation both in international traffic (-3.8%) and in the domestic segment (-2.6%)”, and “in the At Madeira Airport, international traffic (53.0%) predominated compared to domestic traffic (47.0% of the total), while at Porto Santo Airport, domestic traffic was dominant (76.3% of the total)”, he says.

In this first month of 2024, “scheduled flights at RAM airports represented 91.3% of the total number of aircraft handled and 93.1% of passengers (93.3% and 94.8% in the same period last year, respectively)”, being that “the occupancy of aircraft handled at RAM airports was around 79.1%, with Madeira airport reaching 79.3% and Porto Santo reaching 73.8%. In the same month last year, the occupancy rate occupancy rate was lower, at 73.4%, 73.6% and 66.6%, in the same order”. In other words, fewer flights but with greater occupancy, which still did not help (only alleviated) the drop in passengers.

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Tobi Hughes

9 Responses

  1. We fly to Madeira very soon but when I booked the Jet2 flights several months ago the cost increase for this year was well over £200 more than the year before. Maybe that impacts flight numbers and footfall on the island. Interesting to see if there are empty seats on our impending flight!

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  2. I wonder if the manic increase in foot fall may be on the wane. More people than normal came to Madeira as it was the only place they could travel to after Covid hit. That has clearly continued, but perhaps, now that airline/foreign travel numbers are similar to just before Covid and people’s confidence is returning, those numbers will drop as the non typical Madeira visitors are now reverting back to their previous destinations of choice. This could mean the ‘regular’ Madeira visitors will continue or indeed start to return after the madness of the last few years.

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  3. Flight prices are going silly. Being retired we go at the drop of a hat, I look almost daily. I don’t know the figures but Ryanair have reduced the number of flights from all their bases. As yet they have not published their winter prices. The prices at Christmas from Jet 2 and TUI, out of Birmingham are ridiculous at £1050 and £850, plus luggage, for two. I paid £350 with Ryanair last year.

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  4. I may be mistaken but I am sure the number of cruise ships visiting Funchal this winter is far lower than previous years. OK with larger ships maybe the number of tourists is similar? But maybe also the current high costs of docking in Funchal is discouraging some cruise lines and talk about introducing a tourist tax for even day visitors is another reason numbers may continue to fall?

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      1. If only there were stats we consult rather than “I have the feeling that”… Cruise ship number are at all time high both in terms of passengers and calls.

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  5. I can remember a lot of readers of MIN.com complaining about overcrowded places, parkings, hiking pathes etc. Maybe this seaso the island will see less tourists. Bad for those who just openend a company in the tourism sector, but the best will survive for sure.

    Reply

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