East Midlands Airport has suffered a drop in passenger numbers and profits in the past year as the recession hit travellers.
The airport’s annual report shows that East Midlands handled 400,000 fewer passengers in the year to April, with 4.1 million people flying from the regional hub.
Manchester Airports Group, which runs the airport, said last year’s Icelandic volcanic ash crisis also hit profits, which declined by £2.6 million to £7.1 million.
The airport lost about £600,000 in revenue as a result of cancellations caused by the ash cloud in April 2010, according to reports.
“The worldwide aviation industry has experienced a challenging year, significantly impacted by reduced passenger volumes across all markets with further reductions as a result of the volcanic ash cloud experienced earlier in the year,” the report said.
Passenger numbers have increased slightly in the early part of 2011 with an increase in numbers over the Easter period. About 70,000 passengers used the airport in Easter, an increase of 1.1% over the same period last year.