Numbers of arrivals in April registered “new historic record”
April registered a new historic maximum when it comes to numbers of passengers passing through national airports. Just in arrivals, the daily average reached 110,000, which represents a growth on last year’s figures of 8%, according to statistics institute INE.
Without referring to the ‘unbelievable queues’ to get through passport control – in particular at Lisbon and Faro at certain times of the day/ week – INE points out that growth in Lisbon in terms of passenger numbers was 2.3%, translating into 10.7 million people (that is more than the total population of Portugal).
“Faro airport registered a growth of 8.1% in passenger movements (2.2 million) and Porto airport saw 4.5% growth (4.7 million passengers)”, says the agency – and this is all in the so-called low season.
The UK has returned to the “principal country of origin and destination of flights”, with France descending to second position, and Spain in third place.
Cargo and postal movements, mainly through Lisbon, have also increased on numbers for last year, with INE stressing that passenger movements are influenced by ‘seasonal, even weekly fluctuations’.
Last year, Sundays were the days with the greatest number of passengers disembarking in Portugal.
Source material: Correio da Manhã
