14 October 2008

Humberside tops for inclusive tour flights

Humberside Airport has emerged as handling the highest proportion of passengers travelling on package holidays last year.

The proportion flying from the airport on inclusive tour packages was 59%, followed by 37% at Manchester, 35% at Doncaster Sheffield and 29% at Gatwick.

Only five per cent of passengers using Stansted were travelling on inclusive tour packages, seven per cent of LutonÃ¢â¬â¢s, eight per cent of LiverpoolÃ¢â¬â¢s and 11% of HeathrowÃ¢â¬â¢s.

The findings come from the Civil Aviation AuthorityÃ¢â¬â¢s 2007 Air Passenger Survey, which questioned more 210,000 people departing from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Doncaster Sheffield, Humberside, Liverpool and Manchester airports.

The study found that business travellers accounted for 36% of all passengers using Heathrow, the highest proportion recorded in the survey. This compared with 24% at Humberside, 21% at Luton, and 19% at Stansted.

Business passengers using Heathrow had the highest average individual income at Ã&#pound;83,000, compared with Ã&#pound;69,000 at Luton, Ã&#pound;66,000 at Manchester, Ã&#pound;64,000 at Gatwick and Ã&#pound;40,000 at Humberside.

Doncaster Sheffield attracted the largest proportion of leisure passengers at 94%, compared with 89% at Liverpool, 82% at Gatwick, 81% at Stansted and 64% at Heathrow.

A figure of 137 million passengers Ã¢â¬' 56% of the total 241 million - used one of the four London airports surveyed. Twenty eight per cent flew from Heathrow, the same as 2006. Gatwick, Stansted and Luton also retained their respective 14, ten and four per cent share of UK passengers.

The sampled regional airports had a combined throughput of 29 million passengers in 2007 Ã¢â¬' 12% of total UK passengers.

ManchesterÃ¢â¬â¢s passengers made up nine per cent of the UK total, while LiverpoolÃ¢â¬â¢s contributed just over two per cent and Doncaster Sheffield and Humberside each accounted for less than half of one per cent.

The total household income of leisure passengers at Liverpool was around Ã&#pound;45,000 per annum, similar to that recorded at Gatwick and Manchester but considerably less than the Ã&#pound;59,000 recorded at Heathrow.

Passengers travelling to visit friends and relatives made up 46% of StanstedÃ¢â¬â¢s total and 43% of each of LutonÃ¢â¬â¢s and LiverpoolÃ¢â¬â¢s. At Heathrow, the proportion was 32%, at Manchester and Doncaster Sheffield 22%, and at Humberside 10%.

The highest proportion of non-UK residents using a UK airport was recorded at Heathrow at 55%, with the lowest at Humberside, four per cent. It was 39% at Stansted, Liverpool 29%, and Manchester 16%.

by Phil Davies