Chris Beanland and Joe Bates find out more about the ‘ghost airports’ that have been abandoned by the airlines and sometimes boast more staff than passengers.

The number of passengers handled by Vienna Airport during the first month of 2012 increased 9% compared with January last year, to hit nearly 1.4 million.

Frankfurt and Copenhagen airports have both reported strong growth in passengers numbers during the first month of 2012, thanks to improved weather conditions and increased transfer traffic.

Brussels Airport handled 1.15 million passenger in January, an increase of 3% on the same month last year, mainly thanks to a boost in transfer traffic.

Lithuania’s Vilnius International Airport has reported the busiest January in its history, handling 67% more passengers than a year earlier. 

Cargo volumes at Detroit Metropolitan Airport continued to rebound in 2011, jumping 6.8% on a year earlier, however passengers numbers remained stagnant, and total aircraft operations declined during the year.

Passenger numbers at Dubai International Airport soared 8% last year to reach a record total of 51 million in the 51^st year since it opened.

Singapore’s Changi International Airport had a record year in 2011, as more than 45 million passengers passed through the gateway for the first time ever.