(Alliance News) - Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi Di Bologna Spa reported Tuesday that it reported a profit of EUR14.7 million in the nine months, down from EUR32.6 million in the same period last year.

As of Sept. 30, revenues stood at EUR104.7 million from EUR103.0 million in the first nine months 2022.

The first nine months saw a total of 7.7 million passengers pass through, a 19 percent increase over the same period in 2022, but also a 7.5 percent increase over 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. Average aircraft occupancy was 83% in 2023, up from 79% in 2022 and 82% in 2019.

As is now the trend, the first nine months of the year also show a faster recovery in domestic traffic, with passengers on domestic flights reaching and exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Although still affected by the uncertainties of the current macroeconomic and geopolitical scenario, the international segment also came in above 2019 values by 2.5 percent, the company explained in a note.

Regarding cargo traffic, the first nine months saw a cargo and mail traffic level of 37.8 million kilograms, a decrease of 6.7 percent compared to 2022 but an increase of 4.0 percent compared to 2019. Weighing on the high uncertainty on the entire global cargo sector resulting from the difficult international situation, despite some signs of recovery since late September.

The nine-month results place the airport seventh in Italy in terms of number of passengers and third in terms of volume of cargo handled.

"The economic and financial performance and traffic volumes recorded during the period under review give us a snapshot of an airport that has exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts made at the beginning of the year. A result with which we are very pleased and which is even more surprising and relevant if we think of the decidedly complicated context in which it matured. In such a scenario, the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East is certainly a new factor to be monitored, adding to the protracted war in Ukraine, the inflationary conjuncture and the rising cost of raw materials. Elements, the latter, that have affected our margins," commented Nazareno Ventola, managing director and general manager of Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi di Bologna.

By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter

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