Swedavia’s traffic statistics for April 2022

The recovery in air travel accelerated in April, and with more than 2.2 million passengers April is the single biggest travel month since the pandemic started in February 2020. Strong demand, the launch of new operations by airlines and investments in new routes in time for summer are driving the recovery, which is now proceeding at a rapid pace. Swedavia continues to adjust the scale of its airport operations to meet the rapid rise in air travel and together with its business partners is carrying out major recruitment efforts.

Swedavia’s ten airports had a total of more than 2.2 million passengers in April, which is an increase of a full 509 per cent on an annualised basis. Compared to 2019 and before the pandemic, nearly 70 per cent of travel has returned. Stockholm Arlanda Airport had some of its most travel-intense days so far since the start of the pandemic, and travel at many of Swedavia’s regional airports approached 2019 levels.

“The rapid recovery is due to a number of factors, such as pent-up demand, a greatly improved range of travel options available in conjunction with airlines’ expanded summer traffic programme and new investments by airlines. We also have a continued positive outlook for the summer, which is the year’s most intense travel season,” says Jonas Abrahamsson, Swedavia’s president and CEO.

“Naturally, the fact that more people are now choosing to meet others despite great distances with the help of aviation is positive for an industry that has been hit really hard by two years of pandemic. Meanwhile, the rapid rise also entails great challenges as airport operations are now being scaled up. Not least, it is difficult for operators in the industry to manage to recruit staff in a tough labour market at the rate that is now needed, which moreover is a challenge we share with many industries and airports around the world. At Stockholm Arlanda, a brand-new security checkpoint is also being built, which will be placed in service in one year, but this will entail logistical challenges during construction. We are working hard in order to manage the situation as well as possible, but unfortunately due to the situation there is also a risk of longer waiting times than usual, including at the security checkpoint, at times going forward,” says Jonas Abrahamsson.

Of the total 2.2 million passengers in April, 1,595,000 were international passengers and 652,000 were domestic passengers. Compared to April 2019, before the pandemic, international travel decreased 29 per cent while domestic travel decreased 35 per cent. However, at an annualised rate, the increase was 509 per cent in April.

Sweden’s largest airport, Stockholm Arlanda Airport, had 1,479,000 passengers in April, which is a decrease of 27 per cent compared to April 2019. Compared to April last year, travel increased 527 per cent in April. Compared to April 2019, more than 70 per cent of domestic and international travel has returned.

Göteborg Landvetter Airport had a total of 362,000 passengers in April, which is a decrease of 34 per cent compared to April 2019. Compared to April 2021, passenger volume increased 666 per cent. Compared to April 2019 and pre-pandemic levels, international travel decreased 31 per cent while domestic travel decreased 49 per cent.

Bromma Stockholm Airport had more than 95,000 passengers in April. That is a decrease of 55 per cent compared to April 2019, but an increase of 87,000 passengers compared to April last year, when the airport had scarcely any commercial air traffic.

Malmö Airport had a total of 116,000 passengers in April. That is a decrease of 29 per cent compared to April 2019, with a 17 per cent decrease in international travel and a 39 per cent decrease in domestic travel compared to April 2019. Compared to April 2021, passenger volume increased 382 per cent.

Swedavia’s six other regional airports all had a much better recovery in passenger volume in April compared to April last year, but at levels well below figures in April 2019. Kiruna Airport and Luleå Airport had the strongest recovery among Swedavia’s airports in April compared to April 2019, with volumes at both airports nearly comparable to pre-pandemic levels.

Air travel at Swedavia’s ten airports has decreased by a total of more than 64 million passengers since the start of the pandemic 26 months ago.