Icelandic air traffic reflects local economic problems; Skavsta and Billund regional star performers

Billund has maintained double-digit growth every month since March 2007, with the exception of September. Sun-Air, a British Airways franchise carrier based in Billund, launched Billund-Gdansk services in August.

The major banking crisis in Iceland has apparently impacted demand for air travel to and from the country quite significantly in recent months, especially in October when traffic was down over 20% at Keflavik Airport. Another consequence yet to be seen fully is the demise of Icelandic-owned but Copenhagen-based Sterling at the end of October.

Source: LFV, Avinor, Finavia, CPH Airport, Billund Airport, Keflavik Airport

Stockholm Skavsta is still benefiting from the extra routes Ryanair started last October while Billund has maintained double-digit growth every month since March 2007, with the exception of September.

Oslo and Stockholm gaining slowly on Copenhagen

With the collapse of Sterling, Oslo and Stockholm will see further opportunities to close the gap in the battle for regional supremacy, although Copenhagen has been quick to secure the services of Norwegian and Transavia in plugging some of the network gaps left by the airline’s demise.

In the first 10 months of 2008 passenger numbers were up 3.5% at Stockholm Arlanda (to 15.61 million), 3.2% at Oslo Gardermoen (to 16.70 million) and just 2.4% at Copenhagen (to 18.71 million).