More than two million travellers in November
2.18 million travellers passed through Copenhagen Airport in November, which was 12 per cent more than in the same month last year. Over the past five years, the proportion of new and more modern aircraft at Copenhagen Airport has increased, and today one in three aircraft at the airport is of a type that produces less noise and pollution than previously.
The desire to travel and see the world is still strong, and 2.18 million passengers passed through Copenhagen Airport during the month of November, comprising travellers flying out of Copenhagen Airport as well as autumn tourists visiting Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark.
“We continue to see a growing appetite for travel, with 12 per cent more people passing through the airport than in the same period last year. A trip to the warmer climes of southern Europe and a long weekend city break are very popular options. November is the first month of the airlines’ winter programme, which runs until the end of March, and the winter months are traditionally quieter than the summer months,” says Peter Krogsgaard, Chief Commercial Officer of Copenhagen Airports A/S.
In November, Spain is the most popular southern European country, the top destinations being Malaga, Barcelona and Gran Canaria, whereas London is the top city destination from Copenhagen.
More new, modern aircraft types at Copenhagen
Every day, an average of 615 aircraft take off from or land at Copenhagen Airport. Of these, the proportion of new and more modern aircraft types has grown in the past five years. Today, more than a third of all aircraft – or 34 per cent – taking off or landing at the airport are of a modern aircraft type, for example Airbus A320neo or Boeing 737 MAX. In 2019, this figure was as low as five per cent.
“This is a solid and positive trend, which we are pleased with. The advantage of the new, modern aircraft types is that they are more fuel-efficient, less noisy and less polluting, so it makes a major difference when airlines renew their fleets – and we expect this trend to continue,” says Krogsgaard.
There are also fewer departures and arrivals at Copenhagen Airport than five years ago.
“In November, we noted a 14 per cent drop in the number of flights departing from and arriving at the airport compared with 2019, when passenger numbers were roughly the same as today. This is explained by the fact that many airlines use newer and larger aircraft and also that the cabin factor – the number of seats sold – is higher than previously,” explains Krogsgaard.
In November, the cabin factor was 74.8 per cent, which was seven per cent higher than in the same month of 2019.
Growth strongest on long-haul routes
The UK is the most popular country, and about one in ten passengers at Copenhagen Airport travels to and from the UK. However, routes further afield than Europe represented the biggest percentage increase of 19 per cent more passengers compared with last November.
“Especially the routes to North America and Asia attracted more passengers year-on-year. The US and Thai destinations alone saw 25 per cent and 23 per cent increases in passenger numbers, respectively, which is quite impressive,” says Peter Krogsgaard.
The most popular US destinations are New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and Atlanta, while the top destinations in Thailand are Bangkok and Phuket.
