FARO AIRPORT broke its passenger numbers record in August and predictions indicate that this will be the airport’s best year to date.
By the end of the year, airport traffic is expected to have risen eight per cent, which is the same increase that occurred in 2006, according to the airport’s director, António Correia Mendes.
During August, more than 737,000 passengers travelled through the airport, which is the largest ever monthly number.
In 2006, Faro airport broke another record of processing more than five million passengers and hopes are high for 2007.
Mendes said that the record numbers were due to the appeal of the region as a top tourist destination. He said: “Nobody comes to the region to visit the airport” but added that airport staff had worked hard over the years to improve the facilities and customer service.
With more regular low-cost airlines flying to and from Faro, passenger numbers have soared in recent years and have made travelling to the Algarve cheaper and easier.
Mendes said that they were looking at introducing new destinations across Europe in an effort to encourage passenger figures to continue to rise. Despite two years recording eight per cent rises in passenger numbers, the airport’s growth strategy has not been altered.
By 2050, the airport aims to process between 13 and 15 million passengers and the first phase of this strategy aims to process six million passengers per year by 2012. Given the current growth rate, this could be achieved prior to this date.
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