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Record numbers of passengers used Dutch airports in 2011

Record numbers of passengers touched down at Dutch airports in 2011, raising hopes that air travel is recovering after a three-year dip.

The total figure of nearly 54 million passengers was 11 per cent higher than 2010 and well ahead of the previous record year of 2007, when 50.5 million people flew to or via the Netherlands.

Schiphol remains by far the biggest airport, taking 92 per cent of passengers, but regional destinations performed strongly too. Eindhoven’s share has grown from two to five per cent in the last seven years, taking 2.7 million passengers in 2011.

The official figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) showed that 4.2 million people used the four regional airports at Eindhoven, Rotterdam, Maastricht and Groningen.

However, the amount of freight carried by air increased only marginally and remain 2 per cent below 2007’s high point of 1.67 million tonnes.

Postal traffic, which has been in long-term decline, held steady at 25.9 million tonnes, barely half the number conveyed in 2003.

Source: De Volkskrant: Recordaantal reizigers voor Nederlandse luchthavens

See also: Statistics Netherlands website (in English)