São Paulo – Passenger traffic in airports worldwide reached 297.7 million people in September, representing growth of 9% over the same month of last year, according to information disclosed this week by the Airport Council International (ACI), an association that comprises airport management companies.
Regarded as "excellent" by the organization, the monthly growth rate was the highest so far this year. According to the ACI, the top results were achieved by airports in the Middle East, where passenger turnover increased by 20%, and in Latin America and the Caribbean, which recorded growth of 15.5%.
The international airports of São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, and Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, are among those that recorded the highest increase in passenger traffic in September. Turnover grew by 28.5% at the former and 25% at the latter. Passenger traffic also grew significantly in the airports of London, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Munich, Singapore, Incheon (South Korea) and Moscow.
"The large international hubs are at the forefront of positive results," according to an ACI statement, which adds that there was "a strong return of business travel." "The figures largely reflect the economic growth numbers reported by Brazil, China and Germany generating strong business activity and consumer confidence in emerging and export-oriented markets," according to the release.
In absolute terms, Europe had the passenger flow in September, followed by Asia/Pacific, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East. From January until September, passenger traffic at airports worldwide grew by 6.5% compared with the same period of 2009.
Freight transport, in turn, grew by 11.5% in September, after having peaked at 28% in May, according to the ACI.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
