Snowfall adds to February traffic decline
Heavy snowfall over February contributed to the decrease in air traffic last month.
Controllers at NATS, the UK’s major air traffic management provider, handled 154,535 flights last month compared to 180,737 in the same month the year before – a reduction of 14.5 per cent.
Analysis of the figures shows the decrease was exaggerated by airport closures and flight cancellations caused by freezing weather conditions, together with an extra Leap Year day in February last year. Without these variable factors, the dip would have been around 11 per cent.
Flights to international destinations were also down, with the exception of Greece, which recorded an increase of 20.9 per cent, largely attributed to a new service from Stansted to Athens.
Airlines begin their summer flight schedules on March 29th.
| Feb
2009 |
Feb
2008 |
% gr | 2009 to Date | 2008 to Date | % gr | |
| UK FLIGHTS | 154,535 | 180,737 | -14.5% | 321,857 | 366,622 | -12.2% |
| CENTRES | ||||||
| London Area Control Centre (Swanwick) | 125,580 | 145,992 | -14.0% | 261,699 | 296,086 | -11.6% |
| London Terminal Control Centre | 89,593 | 104,487 | -14.3% | 186,682 | 212,176 | -12.0% |
| Manchester Area Control Centre | 34,271 | 42,815 | -20.0% | 71,141 | 86,652 | -17.9% |
| Scottish Area Control Centre | 39,149 | 46,613 | -16.0% | 83,009 | 96,106 | -13.6% |
| Oceanic Area Control Centre (Shanwick) | 27,496 | 29,811 | -7.8% | 57,615 | 61,606 | -6.5% |
| MARKET | ||||||
| Transatlantic Arrivals/Departures | 8,774 | 10,302 | -14.8% | 18,695 | 21,260 | -12.1% |
| Transatlantic Overflights | 12,978 | 14,299 | -9.2% | 27,374 | 29,430 | -7.0% |
| Other Arrivals/Departures | 92,497 | 108,757 | -15.0% | 192,441 | 219,920 | -12.5% |
| Other Overflights | 8,020 | 9,470 | -15.3% | 16,915 | 19,258 | -12.2% |
| Domestic | 32,049 | 37,632 | -14.8% | 65,962 | 76,176 | -13.4% |