Country Feature
Austria prepares to welcome football fans after record winter ski traffic
One of Europe’s great ski destinations is also home to one of Europe’s greatest cultural cities. Vienna dominates the Austrian aviation landscape though five smaller regional airport generate nearly five million passengers per year. LCCs are growing their market share and SkyEurope is making a determined effort to take on Austrian.
Hurricanes and hedonism influence Florida demand
Florida’s airports handled 135 million passengers in 2006. Not as many as California but about the same as all of France. Miami and Orlando are among the world’s top 30 airports. Which airline transports most passengers through the region? What role do hurricanes and ‘spring break’ play, and which two new airports has Skybus ‘discovered’?
Australia’s terrific traffic trends attract Tiger
Australia may only have 21 million inhabitants but its airports passed the 100 million passenger mark in 2005. Which are the leading airports and which are the fastest growing? Domestic traffic is maintaining a healthy growth rate which is likely to rise further as Tiger Airways enters the fray. But where have all the foreign tourists gone?
Swiss traffic recovery finally complete
The post-‘9/11′ collapse of Swissair had a profound impact on the Swiss market. Zurich’s traffic still hasn’t fully recovered. On the other hand Geneva and Basel are benefiting from easyJet’s development of both airports as LCC bases. Which LCC is now #2 in Zurich? When did Ryanair finally arrive in Switzerland and which routes have easyJet dropped from Basel?
Oslo leap-frogs Stockholm as Norwegian helps Norway’s airports to record 10% growth
With a population of under five million people Norway’s 50 (yes, 50!) airports still managed to process 38 million passengers last year. How dominant is Oslo Gardermoen and how fast is traffic growing? How big is the domestic market versus the international market? How big is Norwegian in relation to SAS? And what role does Widerøe play in the market?
California’s stagnant market is boosted by Virgin America and Southwest
The world’s eighth biggest economy didn’t see much growth in air travel at its airports in 2006. Passenger numbers in California are similar to those in Germany and are dominated by two major airports where United is the leading carrier. But at the next seven busiest airports the same airline dominates – and it’s not United. What’s new in 2007?
Turkey: Tourism growth stimulates demand without EU membership
Turkey’s major airports have experienced impressive growth in recent years even without the aid of LCCs. The national airline has been profitable despite recording growth of 15-20% for the last three years. How much of its traffic is domestic and how many routes did it add in 2006? And do Brits and Germans really have different preferences for tourism resorts?
Iceland: a great place to film car commercials
It may be a great place to shoot car commercials and music videos but what else does Iceland offer? We look at traffic development in both the domestic and international market and reveal how Iceland is like Canada and Australia. Which are the major country markets and what competition does Iceland Express pose to Icelandair.
Croatia celebrates 15 years of international air transport links
Croatia Airlines recently celebrated 15 years of international air travel. Though not yet a member of the EU traffic is growing and its claim to be ‘The Mediterranean as it once was’ is attracting increasing visitor numbers, especially from Germany. Seasonality profiles differ significantly for Zagreb and the seaside resorts. We take a closer look.
Air New Zealand prepares for increased domestic competition
Middle Earth’s altar ego is dominated by three major airports and one major airline. But things are about to get interesting with the imminent launch of domestic services from Pacific Blue, one of the airlines in the Virgin empire. Which are the main domestic airports and which are the biggest international routes? We dig out the answers.
Egyptian market prepares for increased deregulation
Egypt is preparing itself for increasing deregulation. We take a look at the current situation. How has demand fluctuated during the last 10 years? Which are the country’s leading airports? How much does seasonality impact operations? We look at how traffic has fluctuated from various EU markets and what EgyptAir is doing to protect its dominant domestic position.
Malta’s incentive scheme reaps rewards
The Mediterranean island of Malta joined the EU in 2004 at the same time as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. But air travel failed to respond to the new liberalised market. So the government stepped in and created an incentive programme. Ryanair is claiming the credit for this summer’s 12% growth in traffic, but what’s the real story? Who else deserves some credit?