Passenger traffic for Britain's biggest airports operator BAA has risen 4.4 per cent in the year just ended with an improvement in its hard-hit North Atlantic routes.
The owner of seven British airports, including Heathrow, said today March passenger traffic rose 10.4 per cent.
The 4.4 per cent rise for the year was in line with BAA's own expectations. The firm - which draws its income from airline take-off and landing fees, car parks, retail rent, airport advertising and its duty-free shops - had projected about 4 per cent traffic growth for the 12 months to the end of March.
March passenger traffic was up from an underlying increase of 4.7 per cent in February.
BAA said north Atlantic travel - affected by a fall-off in travel since the September 11th, 2001, attacks - jumped by 12.1 per cent in March while other long-haul traffic was up 20 per cent - although the impact of the Iraq war dented the year figures.
BAA shares closed at 527 pence on Thursday - markets did not open Friday and Monday because of the holiday weekend - valuing the firm at £5.64 billion sterling.