THE number of people flying through loss-making Ronaldsway Airport in June dropped by 2.7 per cent compared with the year before – in spite of an increased number of TT visitors.
There was a 4 per cent increase in passengers during the TT period.
Nevertheless, passenger numbers were forecast to be down by 6.6 per cent as the lack of the Southampton route, together with an initial single daily frequency for the London City service and a reduction in flights to Luton, meant that more than 5,400 fewer passengers used the three routes alone.
In total passengers passing through the airport in June reached 70,578, a fall of 1,925, or 2.7 per cent.
As a comparison, in June 2008, a few months before the banking crisis hit trade all over the world, the number of passengers at Ronaldsway was 68,558, itself 7,958 or 10.4 per cent down on the year before - which was the centenary TT. June 2005 saw 77,898 use the airport.