The post-London Olympics effect coupled with heavy promotional activity during the games helped boost British Airways carryings last month.
Parent company International Airlines Group said premium and leisure travel was “positively impacted” as a result, helped by a ‘Thank-you Great Britain sale’, which ended on September 25.
Strong levels of business travel helped boost the BA and Iberia holding company in September. Premium traffic rose by 8% over the same month last year while leisure travel was up by 4.6%.
Overall traffic grew by 2.7% on a like by like basis when measured in revenue passenger kilometres.
Iberia low cost offshoot Iberia Express marked six months of operation, carrying 1.5 million passengers in the period with a 94% punctuality rating. This winter, Iberia Express will operate to 16 destinations – seven international and nine domestic – this winter.
IAG said: “Trading conditions at our London hub remain firm. Performance at Madrid continues to be impacted by weak economic conditions, with short haul traffic particularly affected.”