All aboard: Big demand for shuttle
10 April 2012
The massive rise in the cost of flying seems to be encouraging Britons to travel under the sea.
The latest inflation figures showed air fares between November and December last year rocketed by 41%, helping Eurotunnel, which manages the Channel Tunnel and carries car and coach passengers and freight lorries, today to post a 16% rise in revenues last year to 844.8 million (£707.5 million).
Passenger shuttle traffic was up 6% last year as the number of holidaymakers who drove to the Continent rose and haulage firms moved 16% more freight between the UK and France. Demand for tickets on Eurostar was up 2% to 9.7 million.
Eurotunnel's chairman and chief executive Jacques Gounon said: "Our commitment to rail freight is bearing fruit."
