Some 8.4 million people travelled through QAIA in 2018 — statement

AMMAN — Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) welcomed 8,425,026 passengers in 2018, a 6.5 per cent increase from 2017, the Airport International Group (AIG) said.

According to an AIG statement as carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, a total of 76,889 flights passed through QAIA, registering a 3.8 per cent increase in aircraft movement, compared with the figures of 2017.

On the other hand, cargo traffic figures experienced a 5.7 per cent decline, the figures show.

In total, cargo traffic settled at 104,170 tonnes in 2018, AIG said.

The figures for 2018 have shown steady growth, particularly during summer months and the holiday seasons.

The statement noted that QAIA’s monthly passenger record was broken in August, when it exceeded, for the first time, the limit of 1 million passengers in one month.

Dubai, Istanbul, Cairo, Doha and Jeddah were QAIA’s top destinations in 2018, the statement said.

Seven airlines established new routes via QAIA, inaugurating 12 new destinations in Europe.

In December alone, the airport received 629,805 passengers, registering a 9.3 per cent increase when compared with December 2017.

Comparing December 2017 and December 2018, aircraft movement went up by 5,970 flights, approximately 9.2 per cent, and cargo movement marked a drop of 9,112 tonnes or 11.6 per cent.

AIG CEO Kjeld Binger said that 2018 was full of “exceptional achievements” that were the result of cooperation between the group and its partners, local and international, to increase the number of airlines operating routes via QAIA.