According to recent Statistics Portugal data in June 2022, 5.7 million passengers and 18.2 thousand tonnes of freight and mail were handled at national airports, corresponding to year-on-year variations of +186.0% and +16.9%, respectively (+319.8% and +20.7% in May, in the same order). Compared to June 2019, the movement of passengers decreased by 2.7% and the movement of freight and mail increased by 11.4% (-3.9% and +7.9% in the previous month, respectively).
In June 2022, there was a daily average of 95.9 thousand passengers disembarked at national airports (87.1 thousand in the previous month), approaching that recorded in June 2019 (98.1 thousand).
In the first half of 2022, the number of passengers increased by 344.0% (-12.8% compared to the same period of 2019), continuing a trend of approaching the levels recorded in the pre-pandemic period.
In June 2022, 20.8 thousand commercial aircraft landed at national airports, corresponding to 5.7 million passengers (embarked, disembarked and direct transits) and 18.2 thousand tonnes of freight and mail were handled (+74.4%, +186.0% and +16.9%, respectively, compared to June 2021). In May 2022, there had been year-on-year variations of +134.6%, +319.8% and +20.7%, in the same order.
Compared to June 2019, there were variations of -3.3% in the number of aircraft landed, -2.7% in the movement of passengers and +11.4% in the movement of freight and mail (-3.6%, -3.9% and +7.9% in the previous month, respectively).
Considering the total number of passengers disembarked in June 2022, 80.8% corresponded to international traffic (70.9% in the same month of 2021), the majority coming from the European continent (68.5% of the total). Regarding embarked passengers, 80.4% corresponded to international traffic (70.4% in June 2021), with the main destination being airports in the European continent (68.9% of the total).
The daily movement of aircraft and passengers is typically heavily influenced by seasonal and weekly cycle fluctuations but has been significantly affected by the impact of the pandemic in the recent period.
The following figure reveals that the effects of the pandemic were particularly visible, in both series, from mid-March 2020 and in the first quarters of 2021. Since then, the levels of both series in 2021 have been systematically above those of 2020, although far from 2019 levels.
The beginning of 2022 revealed a trend towards approaching the levels recorded in the pre-pandemic period. In June 2022, there was a daily average of 95.9 thousand passengers disembarked at national airports (87.1 thousand in the previous month), approaching that recorded in June 2019 (98.1 thousand).
In the first half of 2022, the number of passengers handled at national airports increased by 344.0% vis-à-vis the first half of 2021 (-12.8% compared to the same period of 2019). The movement of passengers in Lisboa airport corresponded to 49.8% of total handled passengers (12.1 million) and increased by 380.9% vis-à-vis the same period of 2021 (-17.0% compared with the same period of 2019). Considering the three airports with the highest annual passenger traffic, Faro recorded a major increase (+503.2%).
Considering the first half of 2022, the United Kingdom was the main country of origin and destination of flights, with year-on-year growths of 720.8% in the number of disembarked passengers and 717.5% in the number of embarked passengers, justified by the closure of the air corridor between Portugal and the United Kingdom for most of the first half of 2021. France occupied the second position and registered increases of 294.7% in the number of disembarked passengers and 290.0% in the number of embarked passengers, compared to the same period of 2021. Spain took the 3rd position, as the main country of origin and destination.
In the first half of 2022, the movement of freight and mail at Lisboa airport represented 73.6% of the total, corresponding to 80.2 thousand tonnes (+40.9% vis-à-vis the same period of 2021). Compared to the same period of 2019, there was an increase of 11.3%.
Considering the group of other airports, the movement of freight and mail increased by 5.0% (+7.5% compared to the first half of 2019).
