Low cost flights to the Canaries increase in 2011

3.5 million people visited the Canary Islands between January and July 2011 using low cost airlines , an increase of 28.7% compared to the same period last year (2010). Nationally, more than 20.7 million passengers used this form of transport to visit Spain and the islands, representing an increase of 15.5% over the same period in 2010. From january to July 2011, Spanish airports received nearly 36.5 million passengers, of which 57% did so through flights operated by budget airlines and 43% (15.7 million) opted for a traditional airline company, according to to the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce. In July alone, Spain received 7.5 million passengers, up 10%, of which 58.7% (4.4 million) arrived via a low cost flight . The occupancy of the flights operated by low cost airlines during the month of July 2011 was 88.8%, (+9%) higher than traditional companies. The main airlines were Ryanair, Easyjet and Air Berlin. The main markets were the United Kingdom, with 7.4 million passengers (35.8% of the total), Germany, with 4.2 million (20%) and Italy with 2.2 million (10, 7%), with growth of 10.5%, 7.8% and 21.5% respectively. The highest increases were Sweden, +40.8%, France +31.6%, and the Netherlands, +28.9%.