More than 317 000 two-way international passengers travelled through Cape Town International Airport’s international terminal in December, the highest monthly total ever recorded in the history of the airport.
The latest figures top the previous high of 290 000 passengers processed in January 2020, according to Cape Town Air Access and Wesgro.
It is also estimated that foreign passengers arriving at the international terminal over the December period injected almost R1.9 billion in direct tourism spend into the Western Cape economy.
Cape Town International Airport Cluster regional general manager Mark Maclean said: “We are very pleased with the passenger growth because of the positive impact on tourism and trade, the economy and job creation.
“I thank all passengers and visitors for their co-operation and support when visiting the airport. We will now focus on the coming weeks as passengers return home, and the remainder of the peak season. We are forecasting continued high passenger volumes as our visitors enjoy the summer.”
The latest milestone has buoyed the overall two-way international passenger numbers for 2023.
The figure surpassed 2.8 million passengers, eclipsing the previous benchmark of 2.6 million passengers recorded in 2019.
Additionally, the total two-way international passenger figures for 2023 have nearly doubled over the past decade from 1.5 million two-way international passengers recorded in 2013.
Wesgro CEO and Cape Town Air Access spokesperson Wrenelle Stander said they were thrilled to witness a remarkable increase in passenger numbers at Cape Town International Airport.
Mayco member for economic growth, James Vos, added: “These outstanding figures highlight the robustness and diversity of our destination, showcasing the success of our marketing efforts and strategic partnerships.
“The authenticity in our marketing allowed us to present the rich variety of offerings to a global audience, both new and returning travellers.
Through our collaborative partnerships with various sectors and industry bodies, Cape Town and the province have strengthened connections with key source markets worldwide. My unwavering commitment is to continue working towards increasing the number of flights bringing investors and visitors, aiming to secure tourism-related jobs in every Cape Town household.”
Cape Times