"Sydney airport loses tourists"

Friday, June 20, 2003

Sydney airport loses tourists
The Australian Associated Press


International traffic at Australia's biggest airport, Sydney Airport, fell
18.5 per cent in May compared to a year ago because of the impact of SARS.

Macquarie Airports, which was part of a group of investors which bought
Sydney Airports Corp last year, said total passengers handled by the airport
during May fell 3.4 per cent.

Macquarie Airports managing director Kerrie Mather said international
traffic at Sydney Airport continued to be affected by Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome.

"However we note that international passenger numbers for the period to June
18 are showing a slight recovery," she said.

"The improvement in the first half of June may indicate that the depressed
travel market is starting to recover."

Macquarie Airports noted the fall in international traffic through Sydney in
May was because of the combined effects of the continuing depressed travel
market and SARS.

At Sydney Airport, SARS continued to significantly depress previously strong
growth from Asia with traffic from China declining by 62 per cent in May,
compared to the previous corresponding month, following a 30 per cent fall
in April.

Traffic from Taiwan declined 85 per cent after a 53 per cent fall in April.

For Sydney Airport, Hong Kong traffic fell by 13 per cent in May, an
improvement over the 35 per cent fall in May.

In other key markets, the UK fell two per cent for Sydney Airport in May and
the US fell six per cent.

Australian travellers, who constituted Sydney's largest group of travellers,
declined 14.8 per cent after a 14.5 per cent fall in April. New Zealand
travellers remained flat compared to the previous corresponding period.

Macquarie Airports noted that Qantas Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore
Airlines and Vietnam Airlines had advised a staged resumption of suspended
services from mid June and Australian Airlines had advised it would bring
forward the commencement date for Sydney services.

For the financial year to date, passengers at Sydney international airport
were down 2.1 per cent on the same time last year.

Macquarie Airports also said traffic at Birmingham airport in May was up 14
per cent, while at Bristol it was six per cent higher than the previous
corresponding period.

Traffic at Aeroporti di Roma was steady.


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