Record passenger numbers for airport operator

Passenger numbers at Kirkwall Airport increased by 8.3 per cent in the last 12 months, as airport operator HIAL recorded its busiest year ever.

According to the latest figures, HIAL’s 11 airports handled 1,367,342 passengers in the 2013/14 financial year, an increase of 5.4 per cent on the previous year.

Kirkwall Airport attracted 13,000 more passengers over the same period, a rise from 164,228 to 177,899.

Much of the growth across HIAL’s airports was linked to the energy sector, with Sumburgh and Wick John O’Groats the main beneficiaries.

With passenger numbers in excess of 619,000, Inverness Airport also enjoyed its busiest year for five years.

However, a number of HIAL’s smaller airports, such as Barra and Benbecula, reported a drop in passenger numbers as a result of schedule changes and reduced capacity on key routes.