Record year at Copenhagen Airport thanks to Ryanair

One million more passengers travelled via Kastrup in 2015 than the year before

A record 26.6 million travellers passed through Copenhagen Airport in 2015 – one million more than in 2014, representing an increase of 3.8 percent.

While the airport itself has done its part in ensuring future growth by expanding so that giant aircraft like the Airbus A380 can land and take off, the low-cost Irish airline Ryanair is taking most of the credit for last year’s success.

Over 100,000 travellers per month are using Ryanair to fly in and out of Kastrup, making it already the third largest operator at the airport, surpassed only by Norwegian and SAS. During the winter season, 572,000 passengers have flown with SAS, 243,000 with Norwegian and 103,000 with Ryanair.

Ryanair has been steadily expanding since establishing itself at Copenhagen Airport last March.

Ryan flyin’ high
Industry experts estimate that Ryanair has accounted for most of that increase.

“Ryanair has probably sent somewhere between 500,000 and one million travellers through Copenhagen in 2015,” said Henrik Baumgarten from standby.dk.

Kasper Hyllested, a spokesperson for Copenhagen Airport, said that it does not comment on individual airline statistics.

“Ryanair has contributed to the growth in the number of passengers at Copenhagen Airport, along with several other airlines,” Hyllested told avisen.dk.

It’s all about that base
However, industry watchers say that Ryanair could encounter problems expanding in Copenhagen because the company does not have a base at Kastrup. Having a base means the airline has flight crews working from the base and aircraft stationed at the airport.

Ryanair refuses to establish a base because it will not accept trade union demands for agreements with pilots and cabin crew.

“Without a base, it is difficult to operate morning flights with business travellers to Europe’s major cities,” said Andreas Krog, the editor of checkin.dk.

READ MORE: Ryanair flight attendants paid half the going rate, contends union

There are plans to expand Copenhagen Airport so it can handle 40 million annual passengers. Ryanair has said it hopes to reach passenger levels of 2.5 million annually.




  • Ryanair cancels all flights to and from Billund 

    Ryanair cancels all flights to and from Billund 

    Ryanair has increased its cuts from the Billund-Aalborg route to encompass its entire operation to and from Billund Airport. The airline’s scarce communication is leaving both the airport and passengers scrambling for answers.

  • What do Danes do for “Vinterferie”?

    What do Danes do for “Vinterferie”?

    As tradition has it, many Danes take a week off for Vinterferie next week. Or the week after. It’s a bit confusing, especially since Christmas and New Year’s Holiday are not far away. What’s going on?

  • The educational options for internationals in Denmark

    The educational options for internationals in Denmark

    Denmark offers free public education, but private schools and universities for non-EU students require tuition. Language is a barrier, with international schools available for children and limited English-taught university programs. In 2024, Denmark expanded university seats for internationals and introduced an HF-international program in Aarhus.

  • Aarhus Gymnasium is launching Denmark’s first HF program for internationals

    Aarhus Gymnasium is launching Denmark’s first HF program for internationals

    Aarhus Gymnasium is launching Denmark’s first HF-international program in August, offering young adult internationals an alternative to IB programs with a focus on career-oriented education and Danish language learning. Unlike IB, it reduces academic pressure while providing access to vocational schools and professional bachelor’s degrees

  • Top Danish companies report strong financial performance

    Top Danish companies report strong financial performance

    Some of Denmark’s leading companies reported solid financial results for 2024, with Lundbeck, Demant, and Vestas seeing growth, while Pandora tackled rising production costs with price increases and cost-saving measures.

  • Greenland restricts foreign property purchases and election donations

    Greenland restricts foreign property purchases and election donations

    These days, the Greenlandic institutions are approving two new norms to restrict, reduce, or ban the possibility for foreign citizens to buy real estate on the island, as well as for political parties to receive large amounts of money from foreign donors.