BAA Airports Report Strong Traffic in May

Latest official statistics from airport operator BAA show that its six UK airports handled 9.3 million passengers last month, the busiest ever May for Heathrow (5.9 million) and Edinburgh (826,000). The two airports also saw their busiest ever Spring (March, April and May). For the first time ever, the moving annual total number of passengers at Heathrow topped 68 million. Heathrow’s passenger numbers grew by 11.6 per cent over May 2010 which was affected by volcanic ash and industrial action. Accounting for these impacts leaves Heathrow with an estimated underlying 5.2 per cent increase for the month of May. For the year to date Heathrow’s traffic is up 9.8 per cent with underlying growth of 2.7 per cent.

Overall, traffic at the group’s six airports increased by 9.2 per cent over last May. The late Easter holidays and Royal Wedding led to more passengers at the beginning of the month whereas the Grímsvötn eruption in Iceland led only to a marginal decrease in traffic. Stripping out the negative effects of events in 2010, the group recorded underlying growth of 1.7 per cent in the year to date, according to BAA.

Both Edinburgh and Aberdeen recorded double digit increases in the month (13.7 per cent and 11.8 per cent respectively) with underlying growth for the year to date of 6.9 per cent and 7.0 per cent respectively. Traffic at Glasgow increased 7.0 per cent in May 2011 whilst the underlying growth for the year to date was 1.3 per cent.

Stansted saw its second consecutive monthly rise (0.7 per cent) for the first time since October 2007, although on a year to date basis the underlying decline is 4.0 per cent, reflecting the transfer of capacity by low-cost airlines to continental Europe. Southampton’s traffic was down 1.1 per cent in the month, and down 7.0 per cent on an underlying year to date basis, largely as a result of a drop in European scheduled traffic.

The growth in passenger numbers at BAA’s airports demonstrates the continued recovery of the UK aviation sector and the record figures at Heathrow are a clear indication that exposure to the global economic recovery continues to support activity at the UK’s only hub airport. The airport is the main gateway for flights to the BRIC markets, where tremendous growth has been reported year-on-year - Brazil up 82.0 per cent, Russia up 19.1 per cent, India up 5.4 per cent and China up 9.5 per cent. “These important routes are economically sustained not just by direct traffic from London, but by connecting passengers at Heathrow from across the UK and the world,” according to BAA.