Scottish airport traffic booms but BAA chief sounds a note of caution

Published on Sunday 10 April 2011 20:03

ALL three of BAA's Scottish airports saw solid increases in traffic last month as travellers refused to scrap their holiday plans, despite government austerity measures.

Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports collectively enjoyed a 5.8 per cent year-on-year rise in volumes, but the figures were also helped by strong comparisons with March 2010 when traveller numbers were hit by British Airways strikes.

Aberdeen saw the biggest surge in the number of holidaymakers and business travellers passing through its terminal, up 8.6 per cent to 250,200.

Edinburgh enjoyed a 7.2 per cent jump to 720,000 while Glasgow's growth was more muted at 2.4 per cent, taking traffic figures up to 485,200.

The better performance from Edinburgh will add to speculation that it is the more likely contender to remain within the Spanish-owned BAA group after the Competition Commission last month ordered the sale of one of the two Central Belt airports. BAA is still weighing up its options after the commission ordered the break-up of the company, including the sale of Stansted. Insiders say it will respond to the commission's latest ruling before the regulator delivers its final ruling in May.

A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said it set a record last month for the number of travellers using its services, helped by a number of new destinations. Traffic on European flights was up 20.8 per cent compared with March 2010, while Glasgow witnessed a 10.5 per cent boost on services to the continent.

The spokesman said: "This March has been our busiest ever, buoyed by our increased winter schedule. Destinations including Tallinn, Fuerteventura, Salzburg, Gothenburg and Cologne are all performing very well. 2011 has seen 18 routes added already so we're hopeful that we can maintain these fantastic results in the months to come."

However, volumes for the year to March across the three Scottish airports remain down, by 4.7 per cent.

This month, traffic at Glasgow is expected to be boosted by Jet2.com's new base, which was opened on 31 March, creating 150 jobs, including cabin crew, ground staff and pilots.

Across BAA's six UK airports, March traffic was up only 0.9 per cent, but the firm said comparisons with the previous year were difficult due to Easter falling much later this year.

It said the royal wedding on 29 April may also have had an impact on some travel plans, while last year's disruption due to volcanic ash and industrial action also played a role."It may only be at the end of May that an accurate picture of underlying performance emerges for the year to date," the firm said in a statement.

Traffic at Heathrow grew 2.3 per cent during the period.

BAA chief executive Colin Matthews warned that, despite the "encouraging" results, consumer sentiment remained fragile while rising oil prices were a concern.

He said: "In the UK, consumer confidence remains fragile, affecting airports up and down the country. Continued rises in the price of oil are a concern for airlines and passengers in all our markets."