This November 1.7 million passengers passed through the terminals at Copenhagen Airport. The absolute top scorer on the list of the most popular destinations to London. Istanbul and Málaga also look set to remain in the top ten.
During the traditionally quiet month of November, there were a hundred destinations to choose from for the 1.7 million travellers at Copenhagen Airport. So far this year, twenty million passengers have passed through the airport.
“A large part of the route network has now been restored, so travellers from Denmark and southern Sweden have once again plenty of options to choose from when travelling for holiday or business with just under fifty different airlines serving CPH,” says Peter Krogsgaard, Chief Commercial Officer of Copenhagen Airports A/S.
Eight out of ten destinations are back on the route map and eight out of ten passengers are back compared to the most recent benchmark year before the pandemic. However, the health crisis was followed this year by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has triggered global economic uncertainty.
“So far, however, the appetite for travel has remained virtually unaffected, despite inflation and war. The airlines are back, offering plenty of travel options, and passengers are ready to travel too,” says Krogsgaard.
In November, easyJet opened a route to Bordeaux and Ryanair reopened its route to Vienna, while EgyptAir increased its weekly flights to Cairo from four to five.
“Air bridge” to London restored
By far the most popular destination is the British capital. In November, the former Copenhagen–London “air bridge” was almost restored, with an average of seventeen flights daily and 140,000 passengers for the month.
A wide range of airlines fly to the airports around London: SAS, British Airways, Norwegian, Ryanair and easyJet.
“London has been a favourite among both tourists and business people for years. Now we’re into the festive season, when many people traditionally go Christmas shopping and enjoy a few days in the metropolis,” says Krogsgaard.
Málaga in southern Spain has also made the top ten of destinations with an average of four daily flights with SAS, Norwegian, Vueling and Ryanair.
“Many Danes love the south of Spain, one of Europe’s warmest and sunniest destinations even during the winter months. So Málaga has become a busy year-round destination,” Krogsgaard explains.
Istanbul has also made its way into the top ten list in recent years. In November, the Turkish metropolis was served by Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, SAS and AnadoluJet with 31 weekly departures.
A slightly quieter December
Traditionally, December and January are the quietest travel months. According to the airport’s forecasts, this year will be no different.
“Normally, 24 December is the quietest travel day of the year. This will also be the case this year, as we expect around 25,000 people to travel on Christmas Eve,” says Krogsgaard.
According to the airport’s forecasts, the busiest Christmas travel day will be on 18 December, when around 70,000 people will travel to and out of Copenhagen Airport.
