Traffic at British airports slows

A combination of the volcanic ash disruption and the strike at British Airways saw passenger numbers at six of Britain's busiest airports fall by an average of 3.2 per cent during the six months to August, their operator, BAA, said yesterday.

The company said Glasgow and Aberdeen had been worst hit, registering falls of 9.9 per cent and 8 per cent respectively. Passenger numbers fell at Stansted by 7.4 per cent while Edinburgh and Southampton were down by more than 3 per cent. Heathrow showed more resilience, with passenger numbers down by only 0.8 per cent.