Wick John O'Groats Airport Continues Strong Passenger Growth

23rd July 2013

Scotland’s regional airports handled more than 5,000 extra passengers last month according to new figures.

Passenger numbers across the HIAL network, which includes 11 airports, increased in June to 126,453, a rise of 5,282 (+4.4%) on June 2012.

Sumburgh and Wick John O’Groats continued their strong run of growth, with both airports recording a significant upturn in business as a result of increased oil and gas traffic.

Wick John O’Groats gained an additional 2,792 passengers, while Sumburgh handled an extra 6,661 passengers.

Kirkwall also reported increased traffic, with passenger numbers up by 399.

Additional passengers on the Glasgow route saw numbers increase at Islay and Campbeltown, where demand was also boosted by the introduction of new Sunday flights.

At Inverness, numbers fell slightly as a result of the loss of summer flights to Southampton and Dusseldorf, although there is evidence of increasing numbers of German visitors using the Inverness to Amsterdam route, which enjoyed strong growth last month, as did services to Bristol.

Numbers were also down at Dundee, Barra, Benbecula and Stornoway, the result of well documented route closures, and at Tiree, where demand for the Glasgow route fell.

Inglis Lyon, Managing Director of HIAL said: “HIAL has recorded growth in every month of the first half year, and our northern airports have been performing extremely well, largely as a result of the energy boom. However, overall market conditions remain challenging, not least in our more remote island airports and at Dundee, where recent changes to the schedule have had a significant impact on connectivity.

“Nevertheless, we remain focused on attracting new business across our airports, even in these challenging times. HIAL’s airports support some of Scotland’s most remote communities, most of which are heavily reliant on air travel as a means of connecting communities and transporting goods and services. It is essential that we continue to provide a route network that supports social mobility and fosters economic growth.”

June passenger totals
• BARRA 1,011 (-22.6%)
• BENBECULA 2,608 (-24.8%)
• CAMPBELTOWN 923 (+15.7%)
• DUNDEE 2,789 (-48.3%)
• INVERNESS 57,948 (-1.1%)
• ISLAY 2,694 (+4.8%)
• KIRKWALL 16,807 (+2.4%)
• STORNOWAY 11,005 (-2.4%)
• SUMBURGH 25,079 (+36.2%)
• TIREE 822 (-14.3%)
• WICK JOHN O’GROATS 4,767 (+141.4%)

About HIAL
HIAL operates a network of 11 airports across Scotland: Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Dundee, Inverness, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick John O’Groats.

The HIAL group connects regional Scotland to a network of more than 30 UK and international destinations, including Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast, London, Jersey, Amsterdam, Bergen, Geneva and Zurich. Popular holiday destinations in Portugal, France and Italy are also served from Inverness.

The company employs more than 500 people across its 11 airports, and at its group headquarters in Inverness.

In 2012/13, the HIAL group recorded 1,297,676 passengers.