Geneva Airport in 2018: moderate increase in the number of passengers and decrease in aircraft movements

In 2018, Genève Aéroport welcomed 17,677,045 passengers, an increase of 1.9% versus 2017. This figure shows a slowdown in the growth of the number of passengers compared to the previous year. In 2017, the number of passengers who used the airport increased by 4.95% relative to 2016.

During the last twelve months, the total landings and take offs declined by 1.9% to 187,162 movements whereas from 2016 to 2017, total aircraft movements rose by 0.49%.

Annual statistics of Genève Aéroport confirm once again the decoupling between the evolution of passenger number and aircraft movements. A better adaptation of aircraft capacities (companies opt for larger aircraft) as well as the optimisation by the aircraft occupancy rate explain this phenomenon.

The fleet choices of the main airlines that are active on the platform have contributed this trend. The Bombardier CSeries, the A320neo, the A350 and the Boeing 787, which are quieter and more fuel efficient, help contribute to a reduction in noise emissions.

Increased cargo activity

Air cargo on Genève Aéroport platform has seen a significant increase of 7%, reaching 95,270 tonnes, by capitalising on the cargo capacity already available on the commercial planes of Genève Aéroport. From 2017 to 2018, it had grown by 18.7%, up to a volume of 89,012 tonnes of transported goods.

This positive evolution of freight volumes is a barometer of the local economy. Furthermore, it underpins Genève Aéroport’s policy aimed at meeting the expectations of its economic network for such transport services and underlines the quality of the infrastructure available to the cargo handling process.

Despite a modest growth, Genève Aéroport’s service has strengthened, with Geneva currently serving more than 140 destinations. New long-haul flights, including the connection between Geneva and Addis Ababa three times a week opened by Ethiopian Airlines in 2018, helped improve the region’s connectivity at an international level.

Airlines vying for the top ten in terms of market share are EasyJet (45.0%), SWISS (11.8%), British Airways (4.9%), Air France (4.1%), Lufthansa (3.8%), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (2.5%), Brussels Airlines (2.2%), TAP Portugal (2.2%), Iberia (2.1%), and Emirates (1.9%).

The complete list of destinations will be made public when the annual report and the 2018 financial statements are released on 27 March.