UK airports see 10.4m passengers

UK airports operator BAA handled 10.4m passengers in November, an annual rise of 2.2%, the company has reported.

Every airport reported an increase, with traffic rising by 1.7% at Heathrow after a fall in October.
The largest increase was at Southampton, which enjoyed a 14.5% rise and handled 133,000 passengers.
Gatwick and Stansted recorded growth of 1.9% and 2.1% respectively. Over the year so far, traffic is up by 2.4% on the same period in 2003.

International visitors
The company says higher seat capacity and strong growth in some markets has been responsible for the rise.
But it admits the effects of the Gate Gourmet dispute, the London bombings and the impact of higher oil prices are still being felt.
Meanwhile, bosses at Southampton Airport say it has seen an increase in international passengers, with about 350,000 overseas residents using the airport annually.
A spokeswoman said: "The airport is attracting more and more international visitors to the region.
"Passengers are now able to make a flying visit to conduct business in the region, reach Southampton's cruise port or visit friends and relatives in this area."