Prestwick is Scotland's fastest growing airport with a 21% increase in passenger numbers in the last year, according to its figures.

Tourism bosses welcomed the news and pledged "full support" for further growth at the airport, which is situated in Ayrshire, about 35 miles from Glasgow.

The figures, compiled and released by Prestwick Airport, showed that in the last 12 months nearly 1.5 million passengers have passed through the airport.

One of the factors attributed to the increase is the airport's rail connection to Glasgow city centre, which is used by 30% of the airport's passengers.

Ryanair fly to a number of European cities

Another factor is the growth in destination choice for passengers, especially with low cost airlines such as Ryanair.

Prestwick's managing director, Tom Wilson, said: "We hoped to achieve 1.5 million passengers this calendar year and it looks like we're well on target to meet our goal".

The chief executive of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board, Eddie Friel, said he was delighted at the "impressive growth".

He said: "The combination of the low cost scheduled routes from Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium and Norway plus the rail link deliver valued tourists to both Glasgow and western and central Scotland.

Expansion planned

"The tourist board has worked very successfully in partnership with both Glasgow Prestwick and Ryanair to encourage inbound tourism."

Mr Friel added: "We pledge our full support to any new routes and airlines that consider operating to Glasgow Prestwick."

Air services from the airport include low cost scheduled services to London, Dublin, Paris, Frankfurt, Brussels and Oslo and charter flights to 16 destinations in Europe and the US.

Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary said in August that he hoped to add routes to more European cities from Prestwick over the next five years.

He predicted that four million passengers would be passing through the airport by 2008.