Airport passengers up 20.4% in January 2010

According Byblos Bank's Lebanon This Week, figures released by the Hariri International Airport (HIA) show that the number of airport passengers (arrivals, departures, transit) amounted to 369,694 in January 2010, up 20.4% year-on-year. The UAE accounted for 79,755 passengers, or 21.6% of total passenger activity. It was followed by Saudi Arabia with 40,701 passengers, or 11% of the total, France with 36,078 travelers ( 9.7%) and Kuwait with 29,512 travelers (8%). The total number of flights reached 5,134 in January 2010, up 28.4% year-on-year. Middle East Airlines registered 1,460 flights, accounting for 28.4% of the total. It was distantly followed by Royal Jordanian Airlines with 248 flights or 4.8% of the total, Etihad Airways with 158 flights, Emirates Airlines with 153 flights and Jazeera Airways with 142 flights.

The UAE was the biggest source and destination of traffic to Lebanon, as aircraft movement to and from the UAE totaled 843 flights, accounting for 16.5% of the total. Also, the HIA processed 5,369 metric tons of cargo in January 2010, of which 5,290 tons of freight and 79 tons of mail. Total cargo processed in January increased by 4.1% compared to the same month of 2009. MEA processed 1,392 tons of freight, of which 1,371 tons in regular freight and 21 tons in mail.