Northern airports fly into record books with highest ever passenger numbers

Latest figures show that 1,451,793 travellers passed through HIAL’s 11 airports in 2015, an increase of 3.2 per cent on the previous year.

Inverness was the busiest – and fastest growing – airport with 678,683 passengers, an increase of 8 per 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 increased 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 London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol in May.

Islay was also a strong performer in 2015, with passenger numbers up by 6.9 per 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 twelve 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. The diversity of our group is unrivalled anywhere in the UK. From Barra’s iconic beach landing, this year celebrating its 80th anniversary, to the busy city hub of Inverness and the economic driver that is Sumburgh, each of our airports ensures that businesses, tourism providers and communities are better connected.

“We will continue to invest in our airports, with major developments planned or underway at Inverness and Sumburgh this year, and continued efforts to improve our customer service and attract more business across the group. Notwithstanding the welcome arrival of British Airways and KLM at Inverness we have more work to do to attract new business and improve our financial outlook.”

Meanwhile, figures for the last quarter of 2015 (October – December) showed that passenger numbers fell across the group, largely as a result of the loss of services between Inverness and London City (which launched in October 2014, thereby boosting numbers during that quarter), adverse weather and cancellations and less demand from the energy sector.