Airports lifted by budget airlines

Heathrow has fewer passengers than two years ago

UK airports are still struggling with the after shocks of the 11 September attacks.

Figures from BAA, which operates seven UK airports, show that the number of transatlantic passengers is still down.

But there are winners: the airports used by budget airlines or specialising in short haul routes to Europe.

BAA said: "Airports with the greatest concentration of low fare services have been the most successful" in the two years since November 2000.

Charter boost

While passenger numbers on North Atlantic routes in November shot up 21.4% compared with a year ago - just after the attacks on New York and Washington - they were still 10.3% down on November 2000.

By contrast, passenger numbers on scheduled flights to Europe were 14.9% higher than last November and up on two years ago by a comfortable 5.5%.

More passengers opted for charter flights to Europe too, with the numbers up 12.4% compared with November 2001.

The increase of 8.6% on two years ago demonstrates the growth in the charter sector.

Heathrow suffers

The most successful single airport was the European budget-flights hub Stansted, which attracted 33% more passengers than in November 2001.

Its gains were more than double the increase of 13.9% at Heathrow and Edinburgh's 13.4%.

Over two years, the picture is even stronger. Stansted's passenger numbers were 43% higher than in November 2000.

Edinburgh's passenger numbers rose 23% and Glasgow's 9%.

But Heathrow's passenger numbers remain lower than two years ago, down 1%.

At Gatwick, numbers remained 12% lower than two years ago, but the airport's recovery has gathered pace with the addition of more low fare routes.

Improving airports

Non-US long haul destinations are still suffering from a fall in the number of both business and holiday travellers.

Numbers were 1.5% down on November 2000, and 12.7% lower than a year ago.

BAA said 9.3 million people travelled in or out of its seven airports in November, up 14.3% on a year earlier and 2.2% higher than November 2000.

BAA is proposing to raise £8.1bn ($12.6bn) to improve infrastructure at the airports, and to fund the Terminal 5 project at Heathrow.

Last month it was granted permission by the Civil Aviation Authority to levy above-inflation increases in charges to airlines using Heathrow.

Airlines have complained that the charges will make it harder for Heathrow to compete.