Milas-Bodrum airport on Turkey’s south-west coast serves a major tourist resort area during the summer months. Last year, the airport served almost 3.1 million passengers, up almost 11% on the previous year. This made it Turkey’s seventh busiest airport behind both Istanbul airports (Atatürk and Sabiha Gökçen), Antalya, Ankara, Izmir and Dalaman. Domestic traffic accounted for 38% of the airport’s total demand in 2010, and this segment grew by 20%. International traffic, which accounted for just over 1.9 million passengers, grew by a more modest 6%. Flights from the UK contributed with 45% of all international passengers (880,000), whereas flights from German airports represented just 5% of the international total (100,000).
The airport’s seasonality profile is one of the more extreme in Europe with the airport handling over 600,000 passengers during the peak summer months of July and August, but only 50,000 per month during the winter season from November through to March. This suggests that the region also is a popular destination for Turkish holidaymakers.
The start of London/Stansted-Bodrum services exactly a year ago.
New UK services in 2011 with Jet2.com and Monarch
While UK traffic to Bodrum increased by a modest 3.4% in 2010, this week sees the launch of new scheduled services from Birmingham and London Gatwick operated by Monarch, which complement the airline’s London Luton services that began last May and Manchester services which began earlier this month.
Another UK low-cost airline, Jet2.com, began flights from Manchester last week and is starting seasonal East Midlands and Leeds/Bradford services from the middle of June. easyJet began flights from London Gatwick in April 2009, London Stansted in May 2010, from Liverpool in June 2010, and Bristol in July 2010.
However, while the growing number of services from LCCs is noteworthy, the two biggest airlines serving the UK market remain Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomson Airways that provide a predominantly all-inclusive holiday experience including accommodation and transport to and from the airport.
Domestic flights dominated by Istanbul routes
According to OAG data for August, Turkish Airlines and Atlasjet offer over 80 weekly flights to Istanbul Atatürk Airport, while Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines offer a further 36 weekly departures to Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport. These two airlines also compete on the route to Ankara. Next month, Pegasus Airlines is starting non-stop flights to Adana, with service operating on Monday, Thursday and Sunday.
The word mausoleum derives from the tomb of King Mausolus which was built at Bodrum in 350 BC and was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was eventually destroyed by earthquakes in 1404 although remnants of the marble four-horse chariot that crowned the roof can be seen in the British Museum (where only a few select Brits ever venture; preferring the unspoilt beaches of Bodrum).