Record passenger numbers and more efficient air travel

The number of passengers at Swedavia’s eleven airports in December 2012 was 2.3 million, a decrease of five per cent compared to the same month in 2011. However, for all of 2012, the number of passengers was 32.4 million, an increase of three per cent compared to 2011. As a result, the previous record, set in 2011, was surpassed by about 900,000 passengers. The number of international passengers for the full year increased by four per cent, while the number of domestic passengers was up one per cent.  

“The greater need for travel to and from Sweden is now creating new opportunities to compete for non-stop routes, especially to rapidly growing economies around the world. If we want this to be a reality, we must understand the value of this to society and work together to make this a reality,” says Torborg Chetkovich, chief executive of Swedavia.

While the number of passengers continues to rise, the number of landings in scheduled and charter operations is falling. In December 2012, the total number of landings decreased by ten per cent, and for the full year the number was down three per cent to 199,600. The increase in the number of passengers, 900,000, was combined with some 6,500 fewer landings at Swedavia’s airports. 

“The trend toward more people flying while at the same time emissions from the aviation industry are reduced is clear evidence that air travel still has a future. Meanwhile the work to develop even more efficient and sustainable air travel will continue unabated,” Ms Chetkovich adds.