Passenger traffic levels recover after a challenging summer

August's figures were blighted by the Gate Gourmet catering row and BA's wildcat strike, which left passenger traffic growth at a mere 0.5%.

In July traffic grew by 2.6%, but had been affected by the London bombings.

BAA, whose airports include Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, said it carried 13.5 million passengers in September.

Revival

Flights to North America rose by 3.1% last month, while other long-haul routes enjoyed an 8.6% annual rise in traffic.

However, European charter traffic remained weak, falling 7.4%. UK domestic flights saw a 2.3% increase in passenger levels.

Traffic at Heathrow lagged behind other London airports, growing at 1.4%, while passenger numbers at Stansted increased by 5% and at Gatwick 2.9%.

A boom in oil industry activity and a major oil industry conference boosted traffic at Aberdeen by 10%, BAA added.

Last month, the airports operator warned that the London bombings and strikes at Heathrow would shave overall passenger growth estimates by 0.5% this year to 3.0%.