Swedavia releases traffic statistics for March 2022

Credit: Swedavia Airports

Swedavia’s 10 airports had a total of 1.7 million passengers in March 2022, which is a decrease of 46 per cent compared to the number of passengers in March 2019 and to pre-pandemic levels. Compared to March 2021, a month also greatly affected by the pandemic, air travel increased 418 per cent.

“The easing of restrictions, the launch of new operations by airlines and a sharp increase in the range of travel options as a result of the airlines’ summer traffic programmes have accelerated the recovery in air travel. Our airports have now added about 60 new routes, which contributes to enhanced Swedish access and improves opportunities for business and trade. Of course, there are uncertainty factors related to the situation around the world, mainly in the slightly longer term, but we do not see any signs of weaker demand at present and continue to have a positive basic outlook for the summer,” commented Jonas Abrahamsson, Swedavia’s President and CEO.

“We are now continuing to adjust our operations in a responsible way to the increase in travel and especially ahead of the peak summer months. Given the rapid recovery, both we and our business partners have had great recruitment needs for a while. Swedavia alone currently has some 100 recruitment procedures under way, and this great need for recruitment creates staffing challenges in the short term in the whole industry,” added Abrahamsson.

Of the total 1.7 million passengers in March, 1,166,000 were international passengers and 595,000 were domestic passengers. International travel decreased 45 per cent while domestic travel decreased 48 per cent compared to March 2019, before the pandemic. Compared to March 2021, air travel increased 418 per cent, but compared to March 2019 there was an overall decrease of 46 per cent.

Sweden’s largest airport, Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN), had 1,159,000 passengers in March 2022, which is a decrease of 44 per cent compared to March 2019. In March, international travel decreased 45 per cent compared to the same month in 2019, while domestic travel decreased 43 per cent. Compared to March 2021, travel increased 428 per cent in March.

Göteborg Landvetter Airport (GOT) had a total of 258,000 passengers in March 2022, which is a decrease of 47 per cent compared to March 2019. International travel decreased 44 per cent while domestic travel decreased 59 per cent compared to March 2019. Compared to March 2021, the increase in passenger volume was 557 per cent.

Bromma Stockholm Airport (BMA) had 74,000 passengers in March. That is a decrease of 64 per cent compared to March 2019, but an increase of about 68,000 passengers compared to March 2021, when the airport had scarcely any commercial air traffic. 

Swedavia’s seven other airports all had a much better recovery in passengers in March compared to March 2021, but at levels well below passenger figures in March 2019. Kiruna Airport (KRN) and Luleå Airport (LLA) had the strongest recovery in March compared to March 2019.

Air travel at Swedavia’s 10 airports has decreased by a total of nearly 64 million passengers since the start of the pandemic 25 months ago.

Credit: Swedavia Airports