Airport passenger figures flying high

Published on Saturday 11 July 2009 11:49

EDINBURGH Airport is continuing to buck a UK-wide trend that has seen passenger numbers fall across the UK, new figures have shown.

Operator BAA said the Capital's airport had welcomed 871,268 passengers in June, a rise of 1.4 per cent on the previous year.

The figure contrasted with the rest of BAA's UK airports, where the number of travellers declined to its lowest level for nine months.

The company said a total of 12.7 million passengers passed through its airports last month, a reduction of 5.9 per cent on the same period last year.

Bosses at Edinburgh Airport said passenger numbers had increased by more than two per cent in the past three months.

The terminal also recorded its busiest ever day in June, with 35,899 passengers on Friday 26.

Managing director Gordon Dewar said: "Despite the recession, we have successfully expanded our route network and attracted more passengers in the last three months than we did during the same period in 2008, before the onset of the downturn.

"With a major investment programme under way, and the promise of further route expansion in the months ahead, Edinburgh Airport is well positioned for the economic recovery."

BAA is currently embroiled in a battle against the Competition Commission's ruling earlier this year that it should sell either Edinburgh or Glasgow airport, as well as Gatwick and Stansted.