Air traffic down sharply in 2005

PHUKET: Reflecting the sharp downturn in tourism following the tsunami, international passenger traffic through Phuket International Airport fell 54.4% in 2005.

The latest statistics from Phuket International Airport show that the number of international passengers using the airport, both for arriving and departing flights, dropped from 2,024,879 in 2004 to 923,440 last year.

Domestic passenger traffic through the airport fell 20.5%, from 2,826,022 passengers in 2004 to 2,246,562 last year.

The number of international flights dropped 37.3%, from 15,917 flights in 2004 to 9,975 flights in 2005. The number of domestic flights fell 15.7%, from 16,765 in 2004 to 14,132 in 2005.

International cargo movement through the airport fell 56.1 %, from 14,659 tonnes in 2004 to 6,436 tonnes in 2005. Domestic cargo movement decreased by 8.1%, from 13,382 tonnes in 2004 to 12,296 tonnes last year.