A month of November with a peak in the number of movements that has since decreased slightly in the wake of the new Covid-19 mutation.
Norwegian Avinor presented figures for November where the greatest increase in passenger numbers can be seen in international traffic. International passenger traffic has increased almost nine times as great compared to November 2020, following a rise of 786%.
‘We have seen a sharp increase in travelers on international flights compared to the previous year. This correlates with global travel restrictions being removed as of October 1st. Norwegians are increasingly seeking travel outside of the borders, says Gaute Skallerud Riise, Avinor’s Vice President Traffic Development.
’’At the same time, we are seeing that coming into December, the positive trend has turned. This has to do with the reinstatement of restrictions in Norway and internationally, due to an increase in Covid-19 infections and the emerging Omicron variant. How this will affect traffic in the coming period will depend on further clarifications around the Omicron variant, and how the infection rate develops’’, adds Skallerud Riise.
Furthermore, Copenhagen Airport reported that the busiest day of the month was Sunday 14 November with 56,097 passengers. Before the COVID-19, the daily average number of passengers for November was 83,000.
“Since July, we’ve been noticing growing activity daily and the return of the pleasant hum of life throughout the terminals. But the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has thrown a spanner in the works for the travel industry, and at the moment, we’ve got little idea what the coming winter months will bring, ”says Peter Krogsgaard, Chief Commercial Officer of Copenhagen Airports A / S.
“Already, the airlines have started reporting a slowdown in the demand for tickets,” he adds.
For Sweden, Swedavia can present that 1.7 million passengers traveled via their ten airports in November. Since the pandemic started, it is possible for the first time to see that almost 60% of the number of travelers are back in a single month.
” The recovery for aviation continued in November and the number of passengers during the month reached the highest level since the beginning of the pandemic. Reliefs in restrictions and the digital travel document facilitate people’s mobility, as well as an increased range of destinations and routes. However, the pandemic is not over and the spread of the new mutation Omikron is worrying. Much is still unclear regarding the properties of the variant and the effectiveness of current vaccines. New travel restrictions may therefore affect people’s opportunities to travel, at least for the foreseeable future, ” says Jonas Abrahamsson, Swedavia’s President, and CEO.
(Photo: Avinor)
