Air passenger figures on downward slope

Ferry services and other alternatives to air travel could benefit from a steady reduction in the number of people taking flights, a trend identified in two sets of figures released recently.

The Airports Council International (ACI) released figures showing that passenger traffic at European airports was four per cent lower in October 2008 than the previous year.

ACI Europe director general Olivier Jankovec said the global economic crisis is continuing to "bite European airports".

He added: "Traffic continues to slow down, with more and more airports reporting falling passenger and freight traffic."

National Air Traffic Services, the UK's leading air traffic services company, recorded a total of 169,539 flights in November, a reduction of 9.8 per cent in the number of available air services compared to a year earlier.

One of the factors that could lead to an increasing number of people choosing ferry services rather than flights is a perception that air travel costs are increasing.

VisitBritain and Visit London recently carried out a survey which found that half (51 per cent) of holidaymakers in the UK have been put off travelling abroad by the belief that the cost of flying is rising.

Dover - Calais

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Dover - Calais

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