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Date Published: 12/11/2024

Corvera Airport passenger numbers October 2024: The good, the bad and the monthly

Murcia Airport continues to struggle to attract more passengers

Corvera Airport has recorded a continued decline in passenger numbers, marking its second month in negative figures.

The recently released data from Aena airports manager shows that October 2024 registered a year-on-year drop of 0.9%, with a total of 94,082 passengers passing through the terminal.

This number also reveals a stark contrast when compared to pre-pandemic figures from October 2019, the year when the airport opened, showing a more significant decrease of 13.3%.

Although the airport operated 709 flights this October — 1.1% more than in the same month last year — the increase in flights has not translated into higher passenger numbers.

See also: Murcia Airport wins award for best in its category

It is hoped that a recently announced raft of financial incentives for airlines will help to boost traffic at this and other smaller airports in Spain that are struggling.

The latest decline comes on the back of similar numbers in September, when Corvera experienced a 1.9% drop in passenger traffic compared to the same period in 2023 and a 16.2% drop relative to 2019 figures.

The airport now faces the challenge of maintaining steady traffic through the autumn-winter season, which typically sees a reduction in flights and available connections. This low season, which started on November 1, sees Corvera offering nine destinations, compared to the 23 routes available over the summer.

The 2025 summer season will begin in March, and it is hoped that before then new routes will be announced.

So far this year, Corvera — officially known as the Region of Murcia International Airport — has handled 841,845 passengers, showing an overall increase of 2% compared to the same period last year. However, this remains 16.9% below the pre-pandemic numbers of 2019.

Out of the year-to-date passenger count, 837,387 were commercial travellers, with 736,379 travelling on international routes, while domestic travel accounted for 101,008 passengers.

From January to October, Corvera Airport has recorded 6,317 flights, representing a 3% increase from 2023, despite the recent passenger declines.

This stands in contrast to the overall success of the Aena Group, which manages Spain’s 46 airports and two heliports as well as London-Luton Airport and 17 airports in Brazil.

Aena’s total passenger count reached 33.6 million for October, reflecting a 6.1% increase over last year, alongside a 4.9% increase in flights. Cargo transportation also saw a significant jump, recording a 22.7% increase over October 2023.