The number of people that passed through Dublin Airport increased by 231% year on year in 2022 to a little more than 28.1 million, according to a statement published on the airport's website.
Details
The airport's total passenger traffic figure for 2022 represented an 85% recovery of pre-COVID-19 pandemic 2019 passenger traffic levels, the number of people that passed through the airport in the fourth and final quarter of last year amounting to 7.1 million, which was 96% of the figure recorded for the same period in 2019, according to the statement published on DublinAirport.com.
December 2022 saw passenger traffic increase by one million year on year to 2.2 million passengers, which was 95% of the figure recorded for December 2019, according to the statement published on Dublin Airport.com, which also noted that almost half of the airport's 2022 passenger traffic passed through during the five month period consisting of August, September, October, November and December, with a little more than Just over 13 million people passing through during that period.
2022 European, UK And North American Traffic
Passenger volumes to and from Continental Europe rose by 198% last year to 15.9 million when compared to the previous year, while passenger traffic to and from the UK decreased by 24% when compared to pre-pandemic/2019 levels to 7.8 million passengers, which was an increase of 257% when compared to 2021, and transatlantic passenger traffic decreased by 17% when compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels, but increased by 383% when compared to 2021, according to the statement published on Dublin Airport's website.
2022 Other International And Domestic Traffic
Meanwhile, other international passenger traffic including to the Middle East rose by 302% when compared to 2021, and the number of people who travelled on domestic routes last year increased by 23% compared to 2019, and by 237% when compared to 2021, according to the statement published on Dublin Airport's website.
December Data
December of 2022 saw passenger volumes to and from Continental Europe rise by 1% compared to pre-pandemic/2019 levels, and by 460,000 travellers when compared to the same month in 2021, while passenger traffic to and from the UK declined by approximately 15% when compared to pre-pandemic/2019 levels to close to 700,000 passengers, which was an increase of approximately 350,000 when compared to Decvember 2021, and passenger traffic to and from North America declined by 4% when compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels to approximately 257,000 passengers, which was an increase of approximately 140,000 passengers when compared to December 2021, according to the statement published on Dublin Airport's website.
Other International passenger traffic totalled around 80,000, which was 47,000 more than travelled in December 2021, and 7,000 higher than in 2019.
Domestic passengers increased by 29% in December 2022 versus December 2019 to around 11,000. This was almost double the number of domestic passengers seen in December 2021.
Meanwhile, other international passenger traffic rose by 7,000 passengers when compared to pre-pandemic/2019 levels in December to approximately 80,000 passengers, which was an increase of 47,000 when compared to December 2021, and the number of people who travelled on domestic routes in December of last year increased by 29% compared to December 2019 to approximately 11,000, which was close to twice the figure recorded for December 2021, according to the statement published on Dublin Airport's website.
Statement By DAA CEO
The statement published on DublinAirport.com quoted Dublin Airport operator DAA CEO Kenny Jacobs as saying, "Following two years of COVID disruption, 2022 was the year in which international travel came back very strong. When you consider that passenger numbers during the first two months of 2022 were very low due to uncertainty around the Omicron variant, the recovery in passenger numbers from March onwards was way beyond the expectations of even the most optimistic of travel forecasters.
"This resurgence in travel has posed challenges for Dublin Airport and airports all around the world. I’d like to pay tribute to the incredible team there which has worked tirelessly to facilitate more than 28 million journeys over the past 12 months. Their hard work over the Christmas period - the busiest in three years - saw 93% of passengers pass through security screening in under 20 minutes, with 99% through in under 30 minutes. In the year ahead, we are determined to maintain this security performance and make further improvements to the standards at Dublin Airport so that the travelling public get the service they expect."
Avolon Says Global Aviation Traffic Will Reach Pre-Pandemic Levels By Mid-2023
In separate news, international aircraft leasing company Avolon has said in a statement published on its website that global aviation traffic will reach pre-pandemic levels by June of this year, with a profit of approximately $4.7 billion being forecast for this year.
The statement published on Avolon.aero quoted Avolon CEO Andy Cronin as saying, Aviation has demonstrated its resilience and is ready to thrive having come through a pandemic-driven two-thirds drop in traffic. Airlines, manufacturers, and lessors share an ecosystem that creates opportunities for all but requires collaboration to overcome key challenges including a higher interest rate environment, limited aircraft availability and the need to make further progress on decarbonisation goals.
“The rebound in 2022 is set to continue in 2023, with China's reopening helping to drive global traffic levels to pre-pandemic levels by June. Airlines are enjoying higher fares and load factors, and manufacturers are under pressure to ramp up production quicker. Whilst geopolitical and macroeconomic risks remain, this is a positive environment for lessors as supply constraints drive higher lease rates and increase the value of order books."
Read More: Dublin Airport's Passenger Traffic Increased Year On Year In November
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