More international travellers at Copenhagen Airport
2.8 million travellers passed through Copenhagen Airport in April, the highest number ever recorded for an April. A growing number of international travellers are visiting Denmark and using one of the many direct routes connecting Copenhagen Airport with the rest of the world.
Many people use the spring public holidays and the Easter break to travel abroad. As many as 2.8 million passengers travelled via Copenhagen Airport in April, which is six per cent more than last year.
“Peak travel season is beginning as we move closer to summer, and the global appetite for travel remains high. April therefore became another very busy month with a high passenger level. At the same time, the geopolitical situation remains uncertain and may affect international travel patterns,” says Peter Krogsgaard, Chief Commercial Officer at Copenhagen Airport.
Spain and Asia are favourites
Spain tops the list of the most popular countries. More than 248,000 passengers travelled to and from Spain in April. This is an increase of eight per cent compared to last year, with Malaga, Barcelona and Mallorca being the most visited destinations.
Even stronger growth can be seen between Copenhagen and destinations in Asia, with 14 per cent more travellers in April. New routes have been introduced to Ho Chi Minh City with Vietnam Airlines, and China Eastern has launched a route to Shanghai, while SAS now operates four weekly direct flights to Seoul.
“Asia is extremely popular, and aircraft are well filled. We have welcomed new airlines with new destinations in Asia, and travellers have responded very positively. On several existing routes, additional frequencies have been added, and SAS will also open two new direct routes to Thailand in the coming winter season,” says Peter Krogsgaard.
Danish and Swedish travellers accounted for 36 per cent and 13 per cent respectively of all passengers at Copenhagen Airport in the first months of the year, while other nationalities made up the remainder, with the majority being British, American and Norwegian travellers.
More international visitors to Denmark
Copenhagen Airport plays a central role in the continued growth of international tourism to Denmark. The latest figures from Statistics Denmark show that overnight stays by international visitors have increased by 8.1 per cent compared to last year.
“There have never been better air connections to and from Copenhagen. We clearly see that better and more international air links make it easier and more attractive to travel to Denmark,” says Peter Krogsgaard.
European travellers remain by far the largest group, accounting for approximately 85 per cent of all overnight stays. However, it is especially countries outside Europe that are contributing the strongest growth in overnight stays. This applies in particular to Asia, where the number of overnight stays has increased by 40 per cent compared to February last year.
“Denmark is increasingly succeeding in attracting international tourists, most of whom arrive via Copenhagen Airport. The growing number of overnight stays can be directly linked to the new routes to both Seoul and Shanghai,” says Peter Krogsgaard.
Rising jet fuel prices
Global aviation continues to be affected by the situation in the Middle East. Since the crisis escalated on 28 February, one of the indirect effects has been a sharp increase in crude oil prices and, consequently, in jet fuel prices, which represent a significant cost for airlines.
“We can see that a small number of airlines have made minor adjustments to the number of departures, typically on routes with multiple daily flights. Rising fuel prices have not yet had a significant impact on traffic at Copenhagen Airport, but we are of course monitoring the situation closely and remain in ongoing dialogue with the approximately 60 airlines operating to and from Copenhagen,” says Peter Krogsgaard.
