The number of passengers at national airports rose by 5.2% in the first half of the year to 32.9 million, with historical highs recorded in monthly figures in the first half of the year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), which announced the fair on Tuesday.
According to the latest air transport statistics, Lisbon Airport handled 50.8% of the total number of passengers, corresponding to 16.7 million and an increase of 5.3% compared to the same period in 2023.
Porto Airport accounted for 22.8% of the total number of passengers served (7.5 million; +5.8%), while Faro Airport registered a 3.3% increase in passenger traffic, reaching 4.3 million people.
The UK was the top origin and destination country for flights in the first six months of the year, recording an increase in the number of passengers boarding (+2.5%) and departing (+2.9%) compared to the same period in 2023.
In the opposite direction, France recorded a decrease in the number of passengers disembarking (-1.9%) and boarding (-2.1%), ranking second, followed by Spain, Germany and Italy.
The period also saw a 13.2% increase in cargo and mail traffic at national airports, compared with a 0.8% decline in the first half of 2023.
Analysing June alone, INE noted that 6.7 million passengers and 20,300 tonnes of cargo and mail were handled, representing increases of 5.6% and 13.4% respectively compared to the same month last year.
In June, the average daily landing was about 113 thousand passengers, which exceeds the June 2023 figure (107 thousand) by 5.5%.
The UK was also the top origin and destination country for flights this month, with a rise in the number of passengers disembarking (+2.5%) and boarding (+2.9%) compared to the same period last year, followed by France and Spain.
This month, 81.9% of passengers disembarked at national airports corresponded to international traffic, reaching 2.8 million passengers (+5.7%), most of whom arrived from the European continent (68.4% of the total), corresponding to an increase of 4.7% compared to the same period last year. June 2023.
The Americas were the second most important departure point, accounting for 9.4% of the total number of passengers disembarking (+9.9%).
In terms of passengers boarded, 81.5% were international, totalling 2.7 million passengers (+6.1%), with 68.5% of the total coming from main destination airports on the European continent, representing an increase of 5.2% compared to June 2023.
Airports on the American continent were the second main destination for passenger landings (8.9% of the total; +10.4%).
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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