FEWER people jetted off to the sun last year, with airports experiencing the biggest decline in passenger numbers since records began 65 years ago.
Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have reveal a slump in holiday traffic across all UK airports with 7.4% fewer passengers passing through terminals.
That overall trend was more than matched at Cardiff International Airport, where passenger figures showed a decrease of more than 18%.
Cardiff, which in 2007 was the fastest growing regional airport in the UK, saw 1.63million passengers use its services compared to 1.98million in 2008 and 2.10million in 2007.
Steve Hodgetts, Cardiff Airport’s director of business development said the airport had little influence over the number of passengers who use it.
“I think what we have seen here is a result of an airline mix which has been less aggressive in the recession. We have had some airlines remove planes from the airport and this has impacted on the number of routes we are able to offer,” he said.
“We are reliant on our airline partnerships and when 33% of a fleet is removed from service this clearly affects the number of people using the airport.”
Charter airline numbers from Cardiff fell 22% in 2009 compared with 2008, while UK domestic flight traffic was down 9% and scheduled airline traffic fell 15%.
And during 2009, air transport movements – landings and take-offs of commercial aircraft – also fell 27% which was three times more than the UK average. It represented the largest annual drop since the1940s.
However, Mr Hodgetts was adamant things would get better.
“In 2010 we have to make sure we have hit rock bottom of the trough. I wouldn’t want anyone to think we are sitting on our hands and doing nothing about this and we are involved in a number of conversations which will hopefully result in more routes out of Wales.”
The CAA recorded a decline in numbers in all the UK’s major airports with Heathrow posting a drop of 1.5% and Manchester, the largest airport outside London, handling 11.5% fewer passengers.
Harry Bush, CAA’s economic regulation director, said: “These figures show the biggest fall in passenger numbers since the Second World War, highlighting the enormous impact the recession has had on the aviation industry.
“Passenger numbers are now back to the level they were six years ago and, although they will certainly rebound, the pace of recovery is uncertain and it could be a number of years before they reach their peak level again.”
