Third quarter arrivals and departures at South African airports rose 4.4% year-on-year, the Airports Company SA (Acsa) said on Tuesday. International arrivals rose 5.5% and departures 5.7% compared to the same period, a sign that the aviation sector remained resilient despite economic conditions, according Acsa's second aviation barometer.
The first barometer was released in August showing that in the first quarter, passenger arrival and departure growth had risen by 8.4% and 8.6% respectively.
The figures are intended to inform longer-term planning based on the demand of routes, including for the tourism and hospitality industries.
Acsa said on Tuesday domestic arrivals had risen 3.8% year on year and departures 3.7%.
Total arrivals at King Shaka International Airport in Durban rose 8.4% over the period, attributed to the introduction of new airlines at the airport, including Ethiopian Airlines which introduced a direct flight to Addis Ababa in December 2015.
Acsa said third quarter numbers were traditionally lower due to the northern hemisphere summer, although regional performance was strong with a 7.8% increase in regional arrivals compared to 2015.
In the second quarter of 2016, passenger arrivals increased 4.6% year-on-year. Passenger departures rose 5.8%.
Source: BDpro