Passenger numbers at airports owned by TBI jumped 13% today as demand for low-cost services remained strong in the first three months of this year.

The group, which operates Luton, Belfast International, Cardiff and Stockholm-Skavsta airports, said the strong performance meant trading in the second half of its financial year had been in line with expectations.

The strongest growth in low-cost travel came at Cardiff - where the arrival of bmibaby services helped lift passenger numbers by 28% on a year earlier - and at Skavsta with growth of 215% following the arrival of Ryanair.

At Luton, TBI said passenger numbers in the three months to March 31 were up 5% to 1.25 million, helped by easyJet's decision to use the airport as the first destination for its new Schonefield base in Berlin.

The airline has also expanded its activities out of Belfast International with the launch of four new services to destinations in France and Spain.

The airport carried 11% more "low-cost" passengers at 772,500.

Tuesday April 06, 2004