STANSTED’s record growth spearheaded BAA’s 6.5% rise in passenger numbers last month.
The Essex airport recorded a 38.5% rise in customers over November 1998 due to growth from its main carriers Ryanair, Go and KLM UK.
Stansted’s jump in numbers contributed to BAA’s overall rise in passengers to 8.6m last month when compared with figures of a year ago.
The operator’s other six UK airports all showed growth apart from Aberdeen, which was 10.5% down at 188,200.
Edinburgh was the next highest, with an increase of 12.7% to 402,500 , helped by flights from EasyJet and Go.
n BAA has opened its first arrivals shop at Gatwick’s South Terminal. It offers alcohol, cosmetics and electrical goods, tax free and duty-paid.