Alicante-Elche airport trusts to recover in 2021 51% of the traffic volume of 2019 | Radio Alicante | Present

The Alicante-Elche airport esteem recover in 2021 51% of the traffic volume of 2019, after a year 2020, that of the pandemic, in which it has fallen by 75%. However, the uncertainty is still very high and AENA does not venture to make predictions.

This is an estimate, notes the director from the Alicante terminal, Laura Navarro, which emphasizes that the evolution of air traffic goes “completely hand in hand” with that of the pandemic. Therefore, hope also passes vaccines.

In today Alicante, Navarro recalled that 2020 started with just over 15 million passengers, historical record, and has finished with less than four. It was a year “very complicated” that started with a serious fire on the roof – which did not cause structural damage to the building – and the storm Gloria in the same week, and shortly after the pandemic arrived to finish drowning the numbers.

Now the work of rebuilding the definitive roof has begun and the director hopes to go back. He admits that the reserve increase“It’s a good sign, there is contained demand and eager to travel “, but he prefers to be cautious because” it is still early “to launch the bells to the flight.

In this recovery, undoubtedly, the link with Moscow that the airport recovered in November and that operates on Fridays. Navarro trusts that it will last and even be extended, as it is a flight that has a good occupation within the current circumstances. “It denotes that there is a lot of resident and a lot of relationship with Russia in Alicante,” he says.

What the director is sure of is that this health crisis must be used to come out “better in terms of technology, digitization and sustainability”. In this last point, remember that the goal is that by 2026, the airport can be 100% self-sufficient and that all energy sources are renewable.

Regarding innovation, he explained that the Alicante airport already applies the biometric control in border controls, precisely this year that Brexit has come together.

It is, says Navarro, to “rethink the processes to adapt them to reality in an efficient and sustainable way”, taking advantage of technology and digitization. In this sense, he gives as an example the baggage handling system which had to be reprogrammed to adapt it to the poor operation of the airport this year, which represents significant savings from an economic and environmental point of view.

Meanwhile, the Alicante terminal has been recognized this 2020 by the Airports Council International (ACI) by the prevention measures against COVID-19. Measures such as the installation of more than 4,400 stickers, 300 gel dispensers or the change in the equipment of the toilets to contact less devices.

A good award for a bad year, says Navarro, who “comes to recognize the effort that has been made and it is important for the recovery.”

The number of passengers fell by 95.6% in February

According to AENA data published this Friday, the number of passengers who have left or arrived at the Alicante-Elche airport during the month of February has fallen 95.6%, standing at only 37,703. In the accumulated of what we have in 2021 (January and February) that decrease has been somewhat less: 92.8%.

In addition, in February operations have also fallen 88.5%, with a total of 685 movements, and goods 12.4%.

At the top of the news you can hear the full interview to Laura Navarro in Today Alicante.

–