During the third quarter of 2019, passenger numbers across all VINCI Airports facilities rose 6.9 percent relative to the third quarter of 2018, with a total of 72 million passengers served by the 46 airports in the network. This good performance follows on from that in the first half of 2019 when there was 6.7 percent passenger growth. In a changing air transport sector, VINCI Airports is continuing its positive trajectory, thanks to a network of globally diversified facilities that are attractive both to passengers and airlines.
Europe: Good Traffic Performance
Portugal: the number of passengers increased 6.7 percent thanks to an outstanding tourism season. With growth of 7.7 percent over the period, Lisbon airport benefited from the recent addition of destinations, including a link with Doha operated by Qatar Airways. For the first time, the Portuguese capital’s airport served more than 30 million passengers over a 12-month rolling period. In Porto, where VINCI Airports engaged significant investments in April, passenger numbers rose by 11.3 percent due notably to the opening of a new Emirates link to Dubai.
France: VINCI Airports handled almost half a million more passengers during the quarter than in 2018, representing a 7.7 percent growth. Nantes Atlantique and Lyon-Saint Exupéry airports continued their good dynamic (growth of 16.9 percent and 6.5 percent respectively over the period) thanks to the development of their international connectivity. Nantes Atlantique benefited from the installation of easyJet’s new base in early April, an illustration of the successful cooperation between VINCI Airports and that company, which has opened six of its European bases on VINCI Airports’ network. Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport, meanwhile, has been selected by Volotea as the location for its new French base in 2020, a decision that confirms the attractiveness of a French airport that is the standard-setter in terms of customer experience.
United Kingdom: traffic at London Gatwick, which joined the VINCI Airports network in May 2019, declined slightly over the period (1.0 percent), due mainly to the collapse of Thomas Cook and a strike by British Airways staff in September. In addition, Brexit continues to generate some degree of uncertainty in the sector. Passenger numbers at the UK’s second-largest airport remained positive over the first nine months of the year (+1.2 percent). The same trends were seen at Belfast airport, which recorded a 4.9 percent decline in passenger numbers following the collapse of Thomas Cook but almost 3 percent growth since the beginning of the year.
