Rising demand for low-cost air travel and a gradual recovery on long distance routes has helped BAA record its busiest ever month in August, the company says.
BAA, Britain's biggest airports operator and the owner of Heathrow, forecast three months ago passenger growth of three to 4.5 per cent to March 2004, with the budget airlines being the drivers of the expected increase.
BAA said it handled 13.7 million passengers through its seven British airports in August, up 3.6 per cent on last year. Heathrow, the world's busiest international airport, handled 6.19 million passengers, up 1.4 per cent.
Rival Fraport, which operates continental Europe's largest passenger and cargo hub at Frankfurt, said this morning it expected a 1 per cent decline in passenger numbers for 2003, a slightly smaller drop than previously forecast.
Fraport said its passenger numbers rose by 2.7 per cent in August to 4.8 million, driven by growth on routes to the Middle East and North America. Freight volumes edged up 0.5 per cent.