CPH April traffic figures: Just 6,000 passengers daily
April was close to the coldest month in 35 years. Also at Copenhagen Airport, international traffic was frozen until after another month of travel instructions in red. 182,094 travelers were counted, a decrease of 92.7 percent compared to April 2019. Aalborg was again by far the largest destination. Now CPH is getting ready for summer traffic.
There is still a long way to go between passengers at Copenhagen Airport. In April, there were on average just 6,000 passengers daily through the terminals. In April 2019, there were more than 83,000.
“While the rest of Denmark is well on its way to opening up, aviation is still on its knees and subject to many requirements and restrictions. At Copenhagen Airport in April there were only seven percent of the normal number of passengers,” says commercial director Peter Krogsgaard.
In April, there were 138 arrivals and departures daily, compared with 715 in 2019. At the same time, only every third aircraft seat was filled. Usually it is up to 80 percent. The few who travel today are typically for important family visits or business trips. There are still a long way between the holidaymakers who usually make up more than 60 percent of the passengers.
The travel restrictions to the whole world mean that Aalborg is once again the absolute largest destination from Copenhagen with 25,452 travelers – about three times as many as to the major European hubs in Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris. Rønne is also number two on the list of top ten destinations.
Patience in the luggage
There are plenty of opportunities to travel this summer, but it will not be quite as usual. Today, foreign travelers must be able to present documentation for a negative test or vaccine in order to leave. This means that the check-in process takes longer. When you get home, the vast majority need to be tested at the airport. It also takes time.
In connection with the political agreement on reopening the travel activity, the authorities are currently working on a plan for how the requirement for a quick test of all arriving travelers is to be handled this summer.
“Summer travelers need to have extra patience and time in their luggage – both when you get home and when you leave. As a traveler, you also need to know that many of the shops and restaurants you know may not be open yet. And then it is still not allowed for anyone other than travelers with a ticket to stay inside the terminals, so this summer so far you can not stand with a flag at the exit from the luggage and receive, “says Peter Krogsgaard.
“In return, I can guarantee that the staff throughout the airport look forward to welcoming the travelers back and making sure that the ride through the airport is as good and safe as possible,” he emphasizes.
Airlines have announced plenty of routes into the summer and several shops and eateries are getting ready to reopen. But the passengers are still missing.
“The delayed vaccination program in Denmark will probably delay the restart of summer traffic and people’s desire and opportunity to travel. At the same time, there is a need for as simple rules and guidelines as possible that travelers can navigate and understand. on, “says Peter Krogsgaard.