69% of 2019 Departing Passengers Recovered in 2021
Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA) reports as follows on Queen Beatrix International Airport’s (AUA Airport) performance for December 2021; another month with yet another satisfying recovery rate versus the same period in 2019. The total amount of revenue generating passengers (departing passengers) handled in 2021 represented a total recovery of 69% versus 2019.
December 2021
In December 2021, AUA Airport handled 91,086 departing passengers. This was 7% more than the month before. During this month AUA Airport recovered 86% of the amount of departing passengers that were handled in 2019 during that same month. In December 2021 67,011 passengers (pax) travelled to the US, 3,764 pax to Canada, 6,963 pax to Europe, 3,592 pax to the Netherlands Antilles, and 9,756 pax to Latin America.
An average outbound Passenger Load Factor (PLF) (number of seats of the total seats on board an aircraft that are occupied when departing from AUA Airport) for the US Market of 66% was reported during the month of December 2021, while the average PLF for all markets was at 67% during that same period (in comparison to 2019 where the PLF for all markets of 85% was reached).
During the past month, AUA Airport averaged 34 flights per day, down from 37 daily flights during the same period in 2019. In that same period in 2020 AUA Airport only handled a total amount of 659 flights whilst Aruba’s national border re-opened in July of 2020 for all commercial operations.
Full year 2021
In 2020 AAA forecasted for 2021 a recovery of approximately 50% versus 2019. The past year however has proven to be a much better year than excepted and ended up with a total recovery of 69% for the year 2021 versus the year 2019. Compared to 2020 AUA Airport’s revenue generating passenger amount increased with 104%.
In 2021 AUA Airport handled a total of 712,321 revenue generating passengers departing to the US, 8,275 to Canada, 65,396 to Europe, 29,376 o the Netherlands Antilles, 60,919 to Latin America and 293 to other markets. The markets that increased the most in 2021 compared to the previous year were the US Market with 117% and the European market with 103%. The Latin America market also had a strong growth with 97% whilst the Dutch Antilles market grew with 44%.
Departing flights handled at AUA airport during 2021 totaled 9,512 flights which represents an increase of 82% versus the year 2020 and a recovery of 72% of the flights handled in 2019.