BRIEFS: Transportation

Air passenger arrivals up 18 percent

GABRIEL RODRÍGUEZ/LA PRENSA

air traffic has increased1051521

Between January and April 2008, international air passenger traffic rose 18.2 percent over the same period last year, according to the Dirección de Transporte Aéreo of the Autoridad Aeronáutica Civil (AAC). In the first quarter of the year, 1.42 million passengers arrived at Panama's airports. Air cargo, meanwhile, registered a slight decrease of 0.16 percent.

The AAC estimates that the number of air passengers arriving in Panama will increase 16.4 percent for the year.

That number could fluctuate, however, depending on whether the number of flights to Panama remains the same, or if airlines cut their service as they have to many other destinations.