Belfast International Airport has witnessed a sharp uplift in passenger numbers this year as air travel returns in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to latest figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
It said 4.4 million passengers have passed through the County Antrim airport over the last 12 months, with half a million of those flying in July, traditionally the start of the Northern Ireland school holidays. They flew on 37,243 flights over the year, an increase of 115% on the same rolling period in 2021.
It was a similar picture at City of Derry Airport where passenger numbers for the year so far are up 133% to 135,872 across 3,014 flights. Data for Belfast City Airport wasn’t available .
Nearly all airports in the CAA’s report recorded an uplift in both passenger numbers and the number of flights, with Cardiff leading the charge with a hike of 1,103% over the rolling 12 month period. Only St Mary’s Airport on the Isle of Scilly and St Just Airport at Lands End saw a fall of 15% and 7% respectively.
The data reflects the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions across the world and the renewed desire for both business and leisure tourism. It comes after a difficult two-year stretch for airports when the pandemic slashed passenger numbers and forced many to reduce operating hours.
The sharp increase in footfall explains why complaints of long queues at some airports in the summer peak holiday period were prevalent.
