Busiest October ever at Copenhagen Airport

The autumn break prompted many Danes and southern Swedes to pack their bags and travel the world. At Copenhagen Airport, this generated intense activity as 3.06 million passengers passed through the terminals – 11 per cent more than in the same period last year.

“This October was the busiest ever at Copenhagen Airport and the fifth consecutive month with more than three million travellers. A record number of routes out of Copenhagen offers plenty of opportunities to get away – and the same applies in the opposite direction, with many international travellers coming to Copenhagen,” says Peter Krogsgaard, Chief Commercial Officer of Copenhagen Airports A/S.

International passengers make up two thirds of all travellers at the airport. 13 per cent of passengers are Swedes, 11 per cent are Americans and 9 per cent are Brits.

Spain is the favourite destination
Spain’s warm, sunny climate attracted many travellers during the month of October. Upwards of 260,000 passengers flew between Copenhagen and one of the 13 Spanish destinations in October, making Spain the most popular country to visit. The number of passengers was 11 per cent higher than last year, and the three Spanish destinations attracting most visitors are Barcelona, Malaga and Mallorca.

“Many people opted to extend their summer with a trip to Spain, which once again tops the list of the most popular countries. At the same time, southern Europeans are increasingly interested in visiting Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark with its attractions of a pleasant climate and Nordic coolness,” says Krogsgaard.

Tourists create value
Hotels are also benefiting from the growing interest. According to Statistics Denmark, the number of overnight stays in Denmark by tourists from Spain, Italy, France and Greece is at a record high.

In the Copenhagen Metropolitan Area alone, travellers from these four southern European countries have booked 825,000 overnight stays so far this year – a 4.3 per cent increase on the same period last year.

“Copenhagen has become an extremely popular destination. In addition to the many tourist attractions and a fantastic world-class restaurant scene, many visitors are drawn to the Danish lifestyle and safe atmosphere,” says Krogsgaard.

The number of tourists from the USA has seen an even greater increase. This year alone, US travellers have booked 740,000 overnight stays in the Greater Copenhagen Area, a 10 per cent year-on-year increase.

“We have never had as many direct routes between Denmark and the United States as we do now, and this means easier access to Denmark for US travellers. When more tourists visit the country, it benefits the entire industry. It brings more activity to shops, more restaurant bookings and more visitors to museums and attractions,” explains Krogsgaard.

Most extensive winter programme ever
At the end of October, the airlines launched their winter programme. With 234 routes out of Copenhagen, it is the most extensive winter programme ever with 12 per cent more seats available than last year.

“The winter programme that the airlines have now embarked on is the largest in our history, and we are very pleased with the way things are developing. The record programme reflects a combination of several brand new routes and a substantial increase in departures on a number of existing routes. This makes for better connections to and from Copenhagen, for the benefit of society at large,” says Krogsgaard.

This winter’s news includes several routes outside Europe. SAS now has services to Seoul, Tel Aviv and Marrakech, while India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has introduced a direct route to Mumbai from Copenhagen. In December, Vietnam Airlines will be launching a route to Ho Chi Minh City with three weekly departures.

Additionally, SAS has opened new routes to Madeira and Vienna, WizzAir is now operating a service to the Rumanian city of Iasi and is set to launch a service to Moldova’s capital city of Chisinau later in the season.The airlines’ winter programme will run until 28 March 2026.