Worries about the Sars crisis caused a huge dip in the number of people flying on British Airways' Far East flights last month.

BA's Asia Pacific traffic fell 33.1 per cent compared with May 2002, while its planes to and from Asia Pacific last month were 14.7 per cent less full than last year.

Although overall the airline carried 0.3 per cent more passengers last month than in May 2002, BA warned there was considerable volatility in booking levels.

While the number of passengers on UK and European flights fell slightly by 0.4 per cent last month, passenger numbers on flights to and from the Americas rose 7.5 per cent, and Africa and Middle East traffic increased 10.1 per cent. BA said the rise in passenger numbers was mainly driven by post-Iraqi war pent-up demand and promotional campaigns.

However, the number of transatlantic flights overall slumped last month, putting more pressure on the UK's cash-strapped National Air Traffic Services (Nats).

After eight consecutive months of growth, North Atlantic flight traffic handled by Nats was down one per cent compared with May 2002 and down by almost 11 per cent on May 2001.

Nats' finances rely heavily on the transatlantic market, which has remained depressed since September 11, 2001.

Overall, Nats handled a total of 183,526 movements last month - an increase of just 2.6 per cent on May last year and only 0.5 per cent up on May 2001.

Thursday June 5, 2003