Quiet January at CPH: Busy winter break awaits
January is traditionally a quiet month. The same was true this year with only 820,000 passengers passing through the terminals, corresponding to about 40 per cent of the figure in 2019. Now the schools’ winter break promises more activity. Travelers should remeber three important tips: Wear a face mask in the terminals, prepare thoroughly and arrive on time.
“Traditionally, January is a quiet month for travel – and this year was no exception. Now, we’re ready for the schools’ busy winter break with the joy of travel bubbling through the airport – irrespective of whether the destination promises snow, winter sun city breaks,” explains Peter Krogsgaard, Chief Commercial Officer of Copenhagen Airports A/S.
CPH expect the busiest days to be on and around Friday and Saturday 11–12 February, with a total of up to 40,000 passengers daily
Travellers will encounter an airport that is gradually resembling itself. As many as 83 shops and eateries have opened as passengers have been returning – several of them are brand new, such as Gasolin Grill burgers, Oli Olis poké bowls and WOK’s Thai Food. When it comes to shopping, there are also new additions such as Moncler and Loewe.
“Life has returned to the terminals. Now, by all accounts, we look ahead to a spring and summer in which COVID-19 will have weakened, travel opportunities will have multiplied and even more restrictions will be lifted in Europe and the rest of the world,” says Krogsgaard.
Remember to wear a face mask, prepare thoroughly and be on time
While COVID-19 is no longer legally categorised a socially critical disease in Denmark and virtually all restrictions have been lifted, different rules apply at the airport and around the world.
“Once you step inside the airport, you’re in an international area and have started your journey. Here we follow the recommendations of the European Aviation Safety Agency, EASA. This means that everyone is required to wear a face mask in the terminals and on the planes,” emphasises Krogsgaard.
There are also still very different rules, restrictions and documentation requirements in different countries.
“Therefore, we encourage all passengers to prepare extra carefully before setting off for the airport and to be ready to show all required documents. At the same time, be prepared that check-in may take a little longer, as most countries require airlines to check various documents before you’re allowed into the terminals and to board the planes. It’s therefore also crucial to arrive on time,” explains Krogsgaard.
Usually, the arrival time at the airport is two hours before departure for flights to Europe and three hours for long-haul flights to destinations outside Europe. However, it is essential to confirm the check-in time(s) with your airline.
Spain and North Jutland are top scorers
As domestic traffic has been far less affected than international travel, Aalborg ended up as January’s largest destination with 41,000 passengers. Also, in 2021 overall, the North Jutland airport was the top scorer with 566,000 passengers.
The trend in travel destinations also continued from 2021, when Spain was the hands-down most popular country with 1.1 million passengers travelling from CPH. This was also the case in January, when both Las Palmas and Málaga made the top-ten list of international destinations.
Compared to the most recent normal year pre-Covid, i.e. 2019, domestic traffic came in at 55 per cent of the figure for January, European traffic at around 43 per cent, while long intercontinental flights out of Europe were down to 33 per cent of the figure for January 2019.
A total of 820,537 passengers passed through the terminals at CPH this January – an increase of no less than 369 per cent compared to the disastrously quiet January of 2021. However, it is still only 41.6 per cent of the figure for January 2019.