The total number of passengers processed by the airport (including transfer, transit and general aviation passengers) amounted to 2,087,170 (+5.2%) the highest figure ever. Total aircraft movements increased slightly with 1.3% to 38,888 movements. This effect was fully due to increased general aviation flights, however.

This positive result comes slightly unexpected given the sovereign debt crisis in Europe and its fall out effect on other economies. Coupled with the aftereffects of the banking crisis and global economic recession, the results of 2011 surpassed earlier expectations.

As in 2010, a transparent growth trend was absent as traffic growth numbers varied substantially per region; growth for Aruba was predominantly due to growth in the following segments: Latin America & Caribbean and (former) Netherlands Antilles: both increased with 18%. The US market was stagnant with zero growth, whilst Europe grew with almost 4%. The Fixed Base Operation for general aviation (operated by Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc), showed an increase of 5.6% in Revenue Generating Passengers (RGP) to 11,467 passengers in 2011.

Globally, cargo markets contracted with 0.7% indicating economically depressed times ahead.

AAA’s counts of PFC-paying passengers indicate that the USA accounted for 59% of total visitors to Aruba on commercial flights, which is approximately 3 percent point lower than 2010. Latin America remains Aruba’s second largest tourism market with 17% of tourism visitors of which Venezuela accounted for 64%.

For AAA these developments are reflected in the following graphs which represent numbers of PFC-eligible departing passengers (tourists and others) per Segment: