Total passenger traffic rises 6.9% in Argentina, but growth slows from 2017

Passenger traffic at Argentina’s airports reached 29.2m in 2018, up 6.9% over the previous year, reports EANA (Empresa Argentina de Navegación Aérea). Although the growth is in line with average growth over the last ten years, it shows a significant slowdown from the 15% increase in 2017.

Domestic traffic grew by 12.4% to 14.2m passengers, mainly as a result of the introduction of several low cost airlines and aggressive price promotions from the legacy carriers in a bid to maintain market share. International passenger traffic grew to 15m, up 2% compared to 2017, but significantly down on the 5.2% average annual growth during the last decade. Figures were especially poor in the second half of the year following the devaluation of the Argentine Peso in August.

The two Buenos Aires airports continue to be the two most important terminals in the country. Traffic at Aeroparque reached 13.36m passengers, a fall of 5%, mainly due to the transfer of regional flights to Chile, Brazil and Uruguay to Ezeiza. Passenger through-put at Ezeiza reached 11.2m, an increase of 10% over the previous year.

Cordoba (3.39m), Mendoza (2.03m) and Bariloche (1.56m) airports all performed strongly growing by 13%, 31% and 30% respectively.

 

By John Gallagher