Spring Begins with Full Flights and More Connections at Copenhagen Airport
2.6 million passengers travelled through Copenhagen Airport in March, marking 12 consecutive months of record-breaking passenger numbers. At the same time, airlines have launched their summer traffic programme with more than 330 routes worldwide.
The first month of spring saw continued strong demand for travel to and from Copenhagen Airport. In March, 2.590 million passengers travelled through the airport, representing an increase of 16 per cent compared with the same month last year. This made it the busiest March in the airport’s history.
“We have had a March with many travel-ready passengers in the terminals. Many have already travelled for the Easter holidays, either to warmer destinations or to one of the many major cities with direct connections from Copenhagen. At the same time, March marks that we have now had 12 consecutive months of passenger records, which demonstrates continued strong demand for air travel,” says Peter Krogsgaard, Chief Commercial Officer at Copenhagen Airport.
The significant increase in passenger numbers is partly due to the fact that Easter last year fell late in April, while many Danes this year travelled for the Easter holidays already in March. At the same time, many international tourists travel to Copenhagen to experience Danish culture or use Copenhagen Airport as a transfer hub for onward journeys. In March, just under 730,000 passengers were transfer passengers at the airport.
March also concludes the first quarter of the year, during which a total of 7.0 million passengers took off from or landed at Copenhagen Airport. This corresponds to an increase of 14 per cent compared with the same quarter last year.
More Than 330 Routes in the Summer Traffic Programme
With the start of daylight saving time on Sunday 29 March, the airlines’ summer traffic programme came into effect. In the coming months, passengers can choose between more than 330 routes to 175 destinations with 60 airlines. The summer programme includes 20 new routes, ammong others SAS’ connections to the French cities of Marseille and Bordeaux, as well as Canadian airline WestJet’s route to Halifax in Nova Scotia.
“The summer programme includes many exciting routes that are worth exploring, and we are very pleased that the airlines continue to expand their route networks from Copenhagen. This ensures strong international connections for both travellers and the business community and makes it attractive and easy for international tourists to choose Denmark as a destination,” says Peter Krogsgaard.
Unrest in the Middle East and higher fuel prices are creating uncertainty around some routes in the summer traffic programme. However, it is still too early to assess the full consequences of the geopolitical situation.
“We are closely monitoring the geopolitical developments. We see a tendency for aircraft arriving at and departing from Copenhagen Airport to generally be more full than at the same time last year. This suggests that passengers continue to travel, even if some may have to choose alternative routes to reach their destination,” explains Peter Krogsgaard.
Italy Becomes the Summer’s Top Favourite
While Spain for many years has been among the Danes’ preferred summer travel destinations, this year’s summer programme indicates that Italy is taking first place among sun-loving passengers. The number of seats for sale on flights to Italy increases by approximately 20 per cent compared with last summer’s traffic programme, and this year passengers can choose between a total of 16 destinations in the beautiful boot-shaped country.
“For a long time, Spain has been the clear Danish favourite, with Malaga and Barcelona as the top performers. But interest in Italy with its many historic cities, art, fashion and culinary culture is increasing significantly. At the same time, Italians have developed an appetite for visiting Denmark, and we therefore also expect many travellers from Italy in the terminals this summer,” says Peter Krogsgaard.
In addition to classics such as Rome and Milan, passengers can, among other destinations, enjoy a trip to Naples, the birthplace of pizza, the coastal city of Bari in southern Italy, and Pisa in the Tuscany region, which besides its iconic tower also offers a wide range of historic churches and medieval palaces.
The summer traffic programme runs until 25 October.
