April 2024 passenger traffic for Corporación América Airports S.A.

Corporación América Airports S.A.  one of the leading private airport operators in the world, has released its latest figures which show a 4.8% decrease in passenger traffic in April 2024, compared to 2023. 

Passenger Traffic Overview

Total passenger traffic declined 4.8% compared to the same month of 2023, or 2.2% when adjusting for the discontinuation of the Natal airport. Domestic passenger traffic was down 13.8% year-over-year (YoY), or 9.9% when excluding Natal, mainly impacted by weaker performances in Argentina and Ecuador. International traffic was up 6.3%, mainly driven by Argentina and Italy and, to a lesser extent, Ecuador and Uruguay.

In Argentina, total passenger traffic declined 5.2% YoY, driven by weaker performance in domestic traffic, which was down 11.0% YoY. Domestic traffic, which last year included incentives from a government program (called 'Previaje') to boost domestic tourism, was also impacted by some flight cancellations and the temporary suspension of a few routes operated by Aerolíneas Argentinas. In addition, Bariloche Airport was closed for four days due to maintenance works. International passenger traffic continued to perform well and increased 9.3% YoY.

In Italy, passenger traffic grew by 12.0% compared to the same month in 2023. International passenger traffic, which accounted for over 80% of the total traffic, increased by 14.1% YoY, with strong performances at both Pisa and Florence airports. Domestic passenger traffic increased by 3.6% YoY, impacted by weaker performance at Pisa Airport, where some pre-pandemic domestic destinations have yet to resume.

In Brazil, total passenger traffic decreased by 13.4% YoY, or by 1.0% YoY when adjusting for the discontinuation of Natal Airport. Domestic traffic, which accounted for almost 60% of the total traffic, was down 24.3% YoY, or 7.8% when excluding Natal, while transit passengers were up 12.0% YoY. Traffic in Brazil remained heavily impacted by financial and aircraft constraints in some of the local airlines. As a reminder, following the friendly termination process concluded in February 2024, CAAP no longer operates Natal Airport, effective February 19, 2024. Therefore, statistics for Natal are available up to February 18, 2024.

In Uruguay, total passenger traffic, predominantly international, continued its recovery and increased by 2.0% YoY, despite the tough comparison of having the Easter holiday in April last year. JetSMART Airlines has announced the launch of a new route between Montevideo and Buenos Aires in May, while SKY Airline will increase the frequency of its Montevideo to Lima route, also in May.

In Ecuador, passenger traffic decreased by 6.2% YoY as the increase in international traffic was more than offset by weak performance in domestic traffic. International passenger traffic increased by 2.0% YoY, while domestic traffic decreased by 13.1% YoY, mainly driven by the exit of the local airline Equair.

In Armenia, passenger traffic decreased by 4.4% YoY, following a strong recovery experienced in 2023, which benefited from the introduction of new airlines, along with a higher number of flight frequencies.

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Cargo Volume and Aircraft Movements

Cargo volume increased by 10.3% compared to the same month in 2023, with positive YoY contributions from all countries of operation except for Uruguay, where cargo volumes were down by 24.1%. Argentina, Ecuador, and Brazil accounted for over 70% of the total volume and experienced YoY increases of 13.2%, 29.2%, and 10.6%, respectively.

Aircraft movements decreased by 7.1% YoY, with all countries of operation experiencing YoY declines except for Italy, where aircraft movements increased by 10.2% YoY. Argentina, Brazil, and Italy accounted for more than 80% of total aircraft movements in April.