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Irish Aviation Authority: Traffic figures continue to deliver bad news

Direct News Source

As an air navigation service provider on the western edge of Europe, the majority of the Irish Aviation Authority's (IAA) traffic (and revenue) is generated from transatlantic flights.

Therefore, the IAA is particularly exposed to the effects of the global economic downturn, as North Atlantic traffic levels have recorded greater reductions than across mainland Europe. This results in fewer flights being controlled by the IAA, with the resultant drop in revenue. The majority of airlines which operate transatlantic flights have cut capacity on the north Atlantic. Airlines are operating in an environment where they are fighting for survival as both leisure and business passengers cut back on travel. An indication of the market in which airlines are currently operating are announcements in early October of major cost cutting programmes (including job losses) by Aer Lingus, British Airways and SAS.

  • En route operations (north Atlantic overflights) were down -8.2% on September 2008.
  • North Atlantic communications were down -8.7% on the same period.
  • Commercial air traffic movements at the State airports were down on September 2008 as follows; Dublin - 18.5%, Shannon - 13.3% and Cork -28.6%.

January 2009 to the end September 2009, showed the following cumulative trends:

  • En route overflights were down by -8.4%
  • North Atlantic Communications were down by -8.1%
  • Dublin Commercial Terminal Movements were down by -14.9%
  • Cork Commercial Terminal Movements were down by -26.3%
  • Shannon Commercial Terminal Movements were down by -13.9%
  • Combined Commercial movements for the three State airports were down -16.3%.