Passenger figures released by the airport show in stark relief the devastating impact of Covid-19 on air travel.

Figures for August show just 7,194 passengers boarded flights into and out of Ronaldsway, of which 4,721 were on Aurigny’s Guernsey route.

This compares to total passengers numbers of 81,168 the same month last year.

Last year, 865,617 used the airport, up 2.17% on 2018.

In January this year, there were 55,182 passengers and in February 58,215.

But then Covid-19 hit.

March’s figures show a drop of 60.48% on the same month last year, down to 28,205 from 71,361. By April the coronavirus lockdown had shut down air travel almost entirely, with only 294 passengers carried compared to 70,885 in 2019 - a 99.59% drop.

Activity at the airport started to increase again in May which saw 505 passengers, down from 81, 698 while in June 1,019 flew into and out of Ronaldsway, down from 85,999.

In July 2,795 used the airport, down from 76,813 in 2,019 - a drop of 96.36%.

That figure, given on the airport' website does not include Aurigny’s Guernsey service which launched on the 22nd of that month.

Aurigny said it carried 702 passengers that month - 336 from Guernsey to the Isle of Man and 366 Isle of Man to Guernsey.

By the end of July, the cumulative total for the year - minus the Guernsey route - was 146,215 compared to 505,761 in the same period last year - a fall of just over 71%.

In July EasyJet, Aer Lingus and Flybe (the latter by then in administration) carried no passengers at all.

BA CityFlyer carried just 544 on its London City route that month, compared with 5,596 last year.

Only Loganair, which has taken over Flybe’s Liverpool and Manchester routes, saw an increase, admittedly from a low base - up 59.4% on last year from 857 to 1,366.

In August, 428 travelled outbound to London City with 433 inbound.

The Liverpool route had 591 outbound passengers and 553 inbound and Manchester carried 225 outbound and 243 inbound.

Aurigny carried 2,353 from Guernsey to the Isle of Man and 2,368 From the Isle of Man to Guernsey.

Ports director Ann Reynolds said there has been no ’employment’ impact on Department of Infrastructure airport staff.

It is understood that handling agent Menzies and retail operator Caterleisure did furlough some staff for a time and a number of staff have lost their jobs at Menzies including check-in staff.