AVIATION

Aberdeen International Airport (AIA) has suffered a fourth consecutive month of falling passenger numbers after the loss of several key routes.

New industry figures show the Granite City gateway was used by 268,107 travellers in September, a 4% drop from the same month the year before.

The airport seemed to be shaking off the impact if the north-east’s economic downturn before June, when a 4% year-on-year decline in its monthly passenger total marked the end of a long streak of growth.

July and August both saw falls of 2%, with the latest data confirming the terminal has been hit badly by a string of axed services this year.

AIA route development manager Lynn Harwood said: “We enjoyed what was a successful and busy summer season despite there being some knock-on effects from the loss earlier this year of a number of international routes.

“We’re also pleased to confirm that a number of the leisure routes which proved so popular during

“A number of leisure routes will be returning next year”

the summer season will be returning next year.

“Ryanair will once again operate direct flights to Malaga, Alicante, Faro and Malta, while TUI will introduce Rhodes as a new destination for 2019.”

In other developments at the airport, which is without a chief executive following the departure of Carol Benzie at the end of July, Flybe franchise partner Eastern Airways has moved its Monday-Thursday morning flights from Durham Tees Valley to an earlier slot.

From November 12, the first flight of the day will leave Durham Tees Valley at 6.50am, arriving in Aberdeen at 7.55am. Friday departures will leave Durham Tees Valley at 12.20pm, landing in Aberdeen at 1.25pm. BT has said it expects annual profit to come in at the upper end of expectations after what it called an “encouraging” half-year showing.

The telecoms giant posted a 2% increase in adjusted earnings for the six months to September 30, to £3.68 billion, driven by high-end smartphone sales at EE, as well as cost savings. Pre-tax profits were up 24% at £1.34bn in the period.

BT expects full-year earnings to be in the upper half of its £7.3bn to £7.4bn range after “positive momentum” in the second quarter.

Airport passenger numbers have dropped 4%