January saw a 4.3% annual increase in the number of passengers arriving by air (this includes both arriving visitors and returning residents). The air routes witnessing the strongest growth were from Gatwick, Liverpool and East Midlands. January is traditionally a quiet month for arrivals by sea, and this year the numbers were 2.6% lower than a year ago, primarily as a result of fewer arrivals from St Malo. Overall the number of passenger arrivals by sea and air combined was up 3.3%, with air arrivals accounting for 87% of the total.
Key points are:
- January passenger arrivals were up 3.3% compared with a year ago, reflecting a 4.3% increase in air arrivals and a 2.6% decline in sea arrivals
- 87% of all passenger arrivals during January were by air
- Routes seeing the strongest growth in arrivals compared with a year ago were Gatwick (+1,731 passengers), Liverpool (+867) and Nottingham East Midlands (+845), although the latter reflects the fact that this route did not operate in January 2016
- Routes seeing the strongest decline in arrivals compared with a year ago were Guernsey (Air arrivals) with a drop of 544 passengers, Manchester (-479) and sea arrivals from Portsmouth (-424) – however Poole sea arrivals were up 496
- During January Gatwick accounted for 50% of all passenger arrivals by air, ahead of Southampton with an 11% share
- During January 68% of all sea arrivals were from St Malo