Athens International Airport SA said passenger traffic declined 5 percent last year as the Greek and international economic crises hurt travel budgets. The number of people passing through Greece’s biggest airport fell to 15.4 million from 16.2 million in 2009, according to a statement posted on the company’s website. International traffic dropped 2.4 percent, while domestic arrivals and departures fell 9.4 percent. In December, 15 percent fewer passengers passed through the airport compared with the same month in 2009 as heavy snowfall disrupted travel across Europe. The number of international travelers fell 8.1 percent to 630,095, while the number of domestic passengers was down for the ninth straight to 342,583, a 24 percent drop, the statement showed.
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