(Boursier.com) — In the paragraphs below, and unless specifically mentioned, the variations refer to traffic levels for the 4th quarter of 2023 compared to the 4th quarter of 2022.
More than 267 million passengers used the airports of the VINCI Airports network in 2023 (+26% compared to 2022; -4.3% compared to 2019). Growing constantly throughout the year, traffic peaked in the 4th quarter above 2019 levels (+0.6%; +17% compared to 2022).
Absolute records for annual attendance were recorded at significant airports in the network in 2023: Lisbon exceeded 33 million passengers, Porto 15 million, Monterrey 13 million, Belgrade 7 million and Santo Domingo 5 million.
Symbol of the good performance this quarter, two additional significant airports (Santiago de Chile and Belfast International) have seen their traffic exceed the pre-crisis level since October. In Chile, demand was very strong, particularly in international destinations on the American continent, thanks to new services and frequencies offered by several companies including LATAM, SKY Airline and Jetsmart.
In Belfast, traffic growth accelerated this quarter, driven by the dynamism of Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2.
Other airports continue to record very good performances thanks to commercial development with airlines and strong demand. In Portugal (ANA), the strengthening of the seat offer (easyjet +16% in number of movements) was accompanied by very high occupancy rates (higher than 2019). The growth in traffic affected all Portuguese airports, and was particularly pronounced on long-haul international routes (United States, Brazil).
In Serbia, traffic growth continued in Belgrade, notably thanks to the increase in service from Air Serbia (+41%) and Wizz Air (x2). Demand also remained strong on the American continent: in the Dominican Republic, many companies contributed to the increase in traffic (Arajet x2.3, Delta +39%, United +57%).
In Mexico, Monterrey airport is consolidating its position as a regional hub thanks to new services, and the vast majority of airports are recording very good attendance levels, thanks to the additional capacities offered by Viva Aerobus (+17% passengers) and major American companies. In addition to the domestic market, Canada and the United States remain very popular destinations. In Costa Rica, growth remained very strong in the 4th quarter. In Cape Verde, the growth dynamic of the international segment is maintained thanks to European companies (TUI, TAP and Transavia) relying on historic markets (Portugal, United Kingdom) but also emerging segments such as France.
The good momentum in the 4th quarter is also the result of significant efforts made by certain airports to strengthen their long-haul international network. At London Gatwick, the increased capacity of British Airways (+27%) and the arrival of new companies strongly supported long-haul international traffic (+28%), particularly to the United States and Asia. and the Middle East. In Japan (Kansai Airports), although traffic with China has not yet completely resumed, international traffic contributes to the good dynamics of this quarter, in particular on the connections with South Korea where attendance is even very high. higher than 2019.
Finally, in France, without yet reaching 2019 levels, traffic growth continues this quarter in particular thanks to easyJet (+16% offer vs 2022), Volotea (+44%) or Ryanair (+10%) . The beams in progress are largely network beams (London Gatwick, Lisbon and Porto for example) confirming the relevance of the model developed by VINCI Airports.