Passenger numbers at Gatwick are gradually rising, figures released today show.

Over 3.5 million people went on flights out of Gatwick in August, which is 2.7 per cent less than the same month last year.

Although numbers are down, they have shown a remarkable rise than in previous months.

The figures were welcomed by the British Aviation Authority, who claimed that consumer confidence is returning in the aftermath of September 11.

A spokeswoman said: "Although the figures are down, they are up about five or six per cent from the previous two months.

"It is improving mainly because of the cheap airlines and charter flights. They really have come on in the past year."

In the past year since the September 11 tragedy, Gatwick has suffered because the traditional airlines, like British Airways, have been doing so poorly.

In the last year, passenger figures are down 10 per cent to 29,043,500 million. In the last four months, from April to August, 14,367,400 people have gone on flights from Gatwick.

And in August, the number of passengers were 3,550,200, which is better than any other month.

August has shown the biggest rise in the past year and airport bosses claim that passenger numbers will keep going up.

A spokeswoman said: "Gatwick's traditional airlines such as the British Airways routes were severely hampered over the first few months as they were moved to Heathrow.

"This has resulted in major losses for Gatwick. But we are improving. It's difficult to predict the future figures but we think they will start showing an increase from now."

Crawley MP Laura Moffatt said: "It isn't a bad recovery considering a lot of British Airways flights have left and moved to Heathrow. In many terms they are doing quite well."

Ms Moffatt said she would be hosting a seminar in October to discuss the future of Gatwick and she added the passenger figures would be among the topics under discussion.

She said: "We need to get people around the table talking about the airport in the wake of the decision not to put a second runway there otherwise gatwick could end being in the third division."