Signs of Improvment after struggling first half of 2010 - Airport Press Release

After two consecutive months when passenger traffic at Isle of Man Airport collapsed by a total of 19%, June airport figures released today showed signs of improvement. Passenger numbers once again fell in June, but only by 1,844 passengers, a drop of just 2.6%. This compared with a downturn over last year of 9,300 in May and a massive dip of 14,000 in April, all down to the effect of the volcanic ash disruption. Recovery has been slow, as travellers have been cautious about booking flights, even after Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull Volcano ceased erupting, and seasonal Island fog also impacted June numbers.

Overall, the combination of the slow UK economy, a succession of disruptive weather and airspace closures due to the volcanic ash, resulted in a dramatic fall in traffic for the first six months of 2010. 0ver 28,000 fewer passengers used the Airport compared with the first six months of 2009, an 8.1% decrease. Moreover, as Ann Reynolds, the Airport’s Director explains, the compounding problems have hit the Airport at a time when a steady recovery from the economic recession had been predicted.

‘After a year in 2009 when the Isle of Man Airport and its airline operators gallantly fought to maintain routes and passenger traffic, and where we succeeded in retaining all of our year-round services and recording only a moderate reduction in passengers, it has been a real blow to witness this slump for the first six months of 2010,’ she admitted. ‘We had always been cautious about the expected recovery, and while we still are wary, we had confidently forecast an increase of just 3.2% for the January to June period. In the event, we have seen a reversal of this expectation of over 11%.’

‘We have also noticed that the difficulties encountered over the last six months have effectively delayed our recovery,’ added Ann. ‘In June, although the decrease was a far more optimistic 2.6%, this was still over 10% less than the 7.5% increase that we had predicted for the month. While I expect continued improvement to the passenger figures for the coming months, I suspect that this will be a slow process.’

Routes to London have seen an overall improvement in passenger traffic during June, while the North West has slightly decreased. However, there has been a notable swing towards the use of the Liverpool route, with easyJet now operating alongside Flybe. Furthermore, although easyJet carried more than 3,000 passengers on the route, Flybe also saw a small increase in their traffic to Liverpool. Other routes that performed well in June were Manx2.com’s Newcastle service, seeing an increase of more than 50% compared with the route in 2009, and Flybe services to both Luton and Gatwick, showing increases of 5% and 6.5% respectively, with Aer Arann carrying 10% more passengers to London City. The recently introduced Flybe route to Bristol carried more than 1,300 passengers and this, combined with the Manx2.com Gloucester route, which also generated the same number, meant that traffic to South West England was boosted by almost 25%.

Minister for Infrastructure, Phil Gawne MHK, also remains cautiously optimistic about prospects for the second half of 2010. ‘I would hope that we have now seen the turning point in what has been a very tough time for both the Airport and the airlines that serve the Isle of Man,’ he said. ‘The events of the first half of the year have meant that what promised to be a comfortable increase in air traffic for the Isle of Man has been effectively wiped out. However, all the indications are that forward bookings are looking far stronger than recently and this is certainly encouraging.’

The Minister added: ‘I’m pleased to see development of other aspects of the Airport operation with the start of the DHL operation of a dedicated freight aircraft to/from the Isle of Man, direct into their international hub at East Midlands Airport. The flights started on 2 July and are operating Monday to Friday. Customers can send shipments from the Island up to 5.00pm, for delivery in the USA by 10.30 the next morning. This service will also allow delivery the next day throughout most of Europe and a two-day service to South Africa, so for Isle of Man businesses this service brings very good connectivity with international markets.’

Please click below to access the Monthly Air Traffic Summary for June 2010

For further information: Ann Reynolds, Airport Director Tel: 821684

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