THE
number of passengers travelling through the UK’s seven major airports in May
jumped by 2% on the same month last year, according to airports operator BAA.
Figures
released today show European scheduled traffic rose by 7.2% with domestic
routes up 3.6%.
The
Middle East picked up following the end of the Iraq war but the SARS crisis is
still heavily damaging the Far East market with a 35% drop from last year. North
Atlantic routes also dropped, by 7%.
Heathrow saw a 4.2% drop in passengers, but Gatwick
increased by 4.3% and Stansted by almost 17%, largely due to their strong
European and domestic routes.