Aberdeen International Airport has achieved remarkable financial success in 2024, with pre-tax profits surging to £17.2 million – more than doubling from £6.8 million in 2023 and representing a dramatic turnaround from just £266,000 in 2022. The strong performance comes as Scotland’s energy capital positions itself for sustained aviation growth under new ownership and amid evolving North Sea energy dynamics.
Financial Performance Drives Expansion Strategy
Turnover climbed 8.7% to £56.4 million, driven by robust passenger demand and operational improvements throughout 2024. Despite modest passenger growth of 1.7% to 2.3 million travellers, the airport maximised revenue efficiency through strategic route development and enhanced service offerings. Domestic traffic increased 1.4% while international passengers rose 2.3%, reflecting Aberdeen’s balanced market position.
Director Karan Singh Jandhu emphasised the airport’s growth trajectory, stating: “We expect passenger volumes to improve following the announcement of new routes and increased frequencies on existing routes”. The airport invested £3.7 million in capital projects during 2024, including enhanced technology cabin baggage screening equipment and body scanners to meet legislative changes.
Strategic Route Development Accelerates
Aberdeen’s route expansion strategy has gained momentum with several key additions confirmed for 2025 and 2026. EasyJet launched direct flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport on 27 October 2025, marking the restoration of a long-awaited connection between Scotland’s energy capital and France’s primary hub. The twice-weekly service operates on Mondays and Fridays, providing crucial business and leisure connectivity.
Chris Tibbett, Aero Director at AGS Airports, welcomed the Paris route: “We’re thrilled that easyJet will launch this long-awaited route between Aberdeen and Paris Charles de Gaulle. This is a connection the city and wider region have been calling for”. The service joins easyJet’s existing Aberdeen network to London Gatwick, London Luton and Geneva.
Looking ahead, airBaltic will resume direct flights to Riga from June 2026, operating twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays until September. The route will utilise modern Airbus A220-300 aircraft featuring free high-speed SpaceX Starlink internet connectivity. Mantas Vrubliauskas, VP Network Management at airBaltic, noted: “Demand for our services in the United Kingdom continues to grow, and we are pleased to resume direct flights between Aberdeen and Riga for the upcoming summer season”.
Ryanair has also expanded its Aberdeen presence significantly, launching flights to Kraków in April 2025 and increasing frequencies to existing destinations including Faro, Alicante and Málaga. The airline’s operations from Aberdeen have grown by 50% for summer 2025, adding 20,000 additional departing seats.
Market Context
Aberdeen’s 2024 performance occurs within a challenging UK aviation landscape marked by uneven recovery patterns. While the airport’s 2.3 million passengers represent stable traffic levels compared to 2023, this remains below pre-pandemic volumes when Aberdeen regularly exceeded 3 million annual passengers.
Within Scotland’s aviation market, Aberdeen maintains its position as the third-largest airport after Edinburgh (15.8 million passengers) and Glasgow (8.1 million passengers).
The airport serves approximately 30 destinations through partnerships with 10 airlines, providing connectivity across the UK and internationally. British Airways remains Aberdeen’s largest operator by available seats despite operating only one route (London Heathrow), while Loganair dominates by flight frequency with nine domestic routes plus Dublin and Esbjerg.
Aberdeen’s geographic isolation – 2.5 hours by car from Edinburgh and 2.25 hours from Inverness – reinforces its strategic importance to the North East Scotland economy. The Civil Aviation Authority has previously noted that “there was not a realistic substitute airport for airlines to operate from near Aberdeen,” highlighting the facility’s unique market position.
AGS Airports spokesperson summarised the optimistic outlook: “This is an encouraging set of results that reflects our ongoing efforts in attracting new routes and growing passenger numbers across our airports. AGS is in a robust position. We are confident in our ability to build on this momentum, seize new opportunities”.
