Record-breaking year for airport

ALICANTE-ELCHE Airport has had the best year in its history.

Airport operator Aena confirmed that 2014 was the airport’s best year, closing with a total of 10,065,873 passengers; 4.4 per cent more than in 2013.

Gaining nearly 300,000 new travellers, the success is in part thanks to the loyalty of British tourists, with 4.3 million passengers using the airport last year, Germans (781,416 passengers), Norwegians (646,029), and Belgians (501,454). Russian tourism is also being accredited for the rise with an increase in passengers of 30 per cent.

Domestic traffic increased 6.6 per cent compared to 2013, adding 1,160,877 users, and international traffic rose by 4.2 per cent, reaching nearly nine million passengers last year.

Alicante-Elche Airport handled 71,570 flights, representing an increase of 4.8 per cent compared to 2013, with most foreign flights, 27,419, operating to and from the UK.

In a bid to continue its growth, the airport is offering new services this year with the launch of flights to Vienna, Venice and Asturias from April.