Just nine travellers passed by way of Exeter airport in May perhaps in accordance to calamitous figures which exhibit the depths of the journey crisis gripping Britain.
Traveller quantities plunged from virtually a hundred,000 a year before, airport bosses exposed in proof to East Devon Council as they sought a bailout.
There were still 99.5pc less website visitors in July than final year and the airport faces a £620,000 invoice for business premiums.
East Devon Council has passed a assistance package deal which will allow £180,000 of the bill to be paid more than the up coming three decades – the greatest authorized under EU state support principles.
The slump has been mirrored throughout Britain like at huge hub airports these types of as Heathrow, forcing airlines and similar companies to lay off tens of thousands of staff in a fight to survive as a golden age for air journey came to crashing halt.
All round, passenger quantities at UK airports could plunge by 40pc year on year, in accordance to Airways UK’s forecasts for the 12 months to July 2021.
Exeter suffered the double whammy when regional airline Flybe collapsed in March adopted by the pandemic that grounded planes globally.
It is a extraordinary tumble from grace just after 1m travellers made use of the internet site in a 12-month interval for first time in 2019.