After two years – 2020 and 2021 – of great difficulty for the entire air transport sector due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2022 the air traffic trend recorded a progressive improvement, starting from Spring, with the cessation of the emergency phase and travel restrictions.
In particular, at Bologna Airport, the monthly passenger figures went from -50.6% in January 2022 over January 2019 to +2.4% in June 2022 over June 2019, with figures growing for the entire summer season, to then return to decline in the last two months of the year. The final figure records around 8.5 million passengers overall (exactly: 8,485,290 passengers), equal to an increase of 107.1% on 2021, but down by 9.7% on 2019, the last year pre-Covid.
In 2022, there were 2,217,001 passengers on domestic flights, up 44.3% on 2021 and 13.2% on 2019, while passengers on international flights – more penalized by travel restrictions and with a slower recovery as more influenced by global dynamics – they were 6,268,289, up by 144.8% on 2021, but still down by -15.7% on 2019.
Annual aircraft movements were 65,505, up 72.3% on 2021 and down 10.1% on 2019, while cargo transported by air was 42,926 tonnes, up on both 2021 (+10.5 %) and compared to 2019 (+12.9%). Cargo is therefore confirmed as the sector in which Marconi reacted best to the pandemic crisis, thanks also to the vitality of the local economic system.
In the ranking of the “most flown” destinations in 2022 we find Catania, Barcelona and Palermo in the first three places. Followed by: Madrid, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Bari, Tirana, Brindisi, London Heathrow and Frankfurt. Compared to 2021, there is a progressive return of international and business destinations, compared to the predominantly national ones that have characterized the last few years.
With reference to the data for the month of December 2022 alone, there are 577,974 passengers overall, equal to a growth of 23.3% on the same month of 2021, but down by 18.4% on December 2019. Passengers on domestic flights are 142,557 (-10.0% on 2021 and -5.4% on 2019), those on international flights 435,417 (+40.3% on 2021 and -21.9% on 2019). Aircraft movements in the month were 4,645, equal to an increase of 3.7% on 2021, but down by 17.2% on December 2019, while cargo transported by air was 3,444 tonnes, down by 2.4 % on 2021 and up by 13.2% on the same month of 2019.