ACI says small European airports have done well in 2004 - report

Airline Industry Information, Dec 21, 2004

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

ACI-Europe, an aviation industry organisation, has said that small European airports near popular holiday destinations and the capitals of new European Union members have seen a great increase in traveller numbers over the past year.

Examples include Girona, which serves Spain's Costa Brava region, which saw a 106.5% increase in passengers from January to the end of October 2004 year-on-year. Riga, the capital of Latvia, reportedly saw traffic increase by nearly 41.5% and Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, saw a 37.4% increase.

Other such airports include Faro, Portugal; Valencia, Spain; Rome's Ciampino, Italy; Charleroi in Belgium; and Southampton and Bournemouth in southern England. According to a ACI this group of so-called small airports, with a current annual passenger total of just below half a million to five million, saw an overall passenger increase of 10.6% in October 2004 year-on-year, Reuters reported.

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