Scotland’s regional airport group HIAL recorded its busiest ever year in 2015, gaining more than 45,000 additional passengers.
Latest figures show that 1,451,793 travellers passed through HIAL’s 11 airports in 2015, an increase of 3.2per cent on the previous year.
Inverness was the busiest and the fastest-growing airport with 678,683 passengers, an increase of 8per cent and up by more than 50,000 on the previous year. Growth was driven by increased demand on the airport’s international services, including Amsterdam, Dublin, Geneva and Zurich, as well as higher traffic to UK hubs Manchester and London Gatwick. The airport is set for one of its busiest ever years as British Airways and KLM launch new services to Heathrow and Amsterdam in May.
Islay was also a strong performer in 2015, with passenger numbers up by 6.9per cent. Barra, Benbecula and Tiree also recorded increases.
Dundee Airport ended the year in a strong position, recording two consecutive quarters of growth in the second half of 2015, due to increased golf leisure traffic and growing demand for its daily Stansted service.
Sumburgh and Wick John O’Groats both recorded a slight fall in numbers due to less demand for energy sector services to and from Aberdeen. Numbers also fell at Campbeltown, Kirkwall and Stornoway.
Inglis Lyon, Managing Director of HIAL, said: “The last 12 months have been the busiest in HIAL’s 30-year history with record numbers of business and leisure passengers using our airports. This growth illustrates the enormous importance of our regional airports to Scotland’s economy.”
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