The National Institute of Statistics of Portugal (INE) has revealed that in April 2023, Portuguese airports experienced a significant milestone with “historic highs” in passenger and cargo volumes.
According to the same source, the airports in this country handled 5.9 million passengers, reflecting a substantial increase compared to previous periods. Additionally, the cargo and mail throughput reached 18,400 tons, indicating a notable surge in air freight activities, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Since the beginning of this year, passenger numbers at national airports have consistently exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Thus, during April 2023, the daily average of disembarked passengers at national airports reached nearly 99,000, surpassing the figures from April 2022 and April 2019.
Compared to April of last year, there was an 18.4 per cent increase in daily average passenger numbers, reflecting a significant recovery in air travel. Furthermore, the daily average in April 2023 was 10.8 per cent higher than in April 2019, indicating sustained growth and a continued rebound in passenger traffic.
Data provided by INE also show that, from January to April 2023, there was a significant increase in the number of passengers at national airports compared to the same period in 2022. At the same time, passenger numbers grew by 41.1 per cent, indicating a strong recovery in air travel demand.
On the other hand, the movement of freight and mail remained unchanged during this period, suggesting stability in cargo and mail activities.
There were notable increases when comparing the figures to the same period in 2019, before the pandemic. Passenger numbers increased by 13.7 per cent, indicating a sustained recovery and growth in air travel. Additionally, there was a 10.7 per cent increase in the movement of freight and mail, reflecting an upward trend in cargo and mail activities.
In the first four months of 2023, France maintained its position as the primary country of origin and destination for international flights with passengers. The same was also followed by the United Kingdom and Spain.
Further data from INE revealed that Spain and Italy stood out among the countries experiencing significant increases compared to the same period in 2022. As a result, Spain recorded a remarkable increase of 65.7 per cent in passengers disembarked, indicating a strong recovery in inbound travel.
Even Italy saw a substantial rise of 67.8 per cent in passengers disembarked, reflecting increased travel demand to the country.
When considering passengers embarked, Spain and Italy also experienced significant growth. Spain registered a 68.0 per cent increase in passengers embarked, while Italy witnessed a rise of 67.9 per cent. These figures demonstrate a surge in outbound travel from these countries, indicating growth mobility and a rebound in air travel.