Data provided by the Regional Statistics Service (SREA) revealed that in October 2023, the Azores saw a surge in airport arrivals, setting a new record with over 171,000 landings.
The air transport report also states that in October 2023, a total of 171,245 passengers arrived at Azores airports, marking an increase of 7.3 per cent compared to the same month the previous year.
Specifically, 80,715 passengers arrived from other regions of the national territory, 72,400 interisland passengers, and 18,130 international passengers.
According to SREA figures, the October numbers are the highest recorded for that month between 1986 and 2023, surpassing the previous record of 159,561 landings set in 2022.
Azores Welcomes More Visitors in October 2023 via Mainland & Madeira
Most passengers who landed in the Azores in October arrived on flights from the mainland or Madeira (80,715), experiencing a year-on-year monthly increase of 3.9 per cent.
Interisland flights accounted for 72,400 passengers, contributing to a 7.4 per cent growth in Azores arrivals compared to the same month in 2022, continuing the upward trend observed between June and September.
Based on these data, travellers arriving on international flights showed the most significant year-on-year monthly increase (25.7 per cent), totalling 18,130 landings.
Faial Dominates Monthly Year-on-Year Growth in Passengers
SREA’s report highlights a positive trend in monthly year-on-year variations in passenger arrivals across the archipelago, with Faial leading the growth at 10.8 per cent, followed by São Miguel (8.6 per cent), Santa Maria (6.7 per cent), Pico (5.8 per cent), and Graciosa (five per cent). On the other hand, Corvo saw a decline of 2.8 per cent.
Among the islands that emerged as the dominant players during October 2023 are as follows:
- São Miguel – 102,048 passengers
- Terceira – 35,782
- Faial – 11,124
Regarding departing passengers, the total reached 178,844, marking a 7.6 per cent growth compared to last year.
The data further reveals specific growth percentages for different flight types: a 5.6 per cent rise in passengers boarding flights to Madeira and mainland Portugal (84,931), a 7.7 per cent increase in inter-island flights (72,651), and a total of 16.2 per cent surge in international flights (21,262).
Previous data from SREA showed that in August of this year, the Azores experienced a surge in tourism, setting a fresh record with over 285,000 visitors. The figure represented a 9.7 per cent increase in passenger arrivals compared to the previous year.
The same source also noted that air travel played a significant role, with a total of 259,916 passengers arriving by air, surpassing the figures from 2022. At the same time, international flights witnessed a growth of 20.5 per cent, accommodating 43,391 arrivals during the same period last year.
