A total of 71,561 passengers travelled via the 10 airports operated by HIAL during November 2003.

Passenger numbers across the company’s airports in the past month increased by 1.2% on the November 2002 monthly total.

The running passenger total for the current year, starting on 1 April 2003, now stands at 658,498, an increase of more than 47,000 passengers on the same eight month period in 2002-2003.

The largest year on year passenger growth was recorded at Inverness with 17.8% and Stornoway with 15.4%. Passenger numbers have also increased over the past eight months at Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Islay and Kirkwall. There have been small decreases in passenger numbers at Wick and in non-oil passenger traffic at Sumburgh. Passenger figures for Tiree are equal to those in 2002-2003.

Oil-related traffic at Sumburgh continued to reflect a downturn in offshore activity with a 57.5% drop in passengers to a running total of 7,912 at the end of November compared to the previous year’s running total of 18,622.

Total aircraft movements, including scheduled, charter, executive, general aviation and military flights have also grown across the 10 airports in the past eight months, up 7.4% to a running total of 57,051 for the current year.

Bob Macleod, Managing Director of HIAL, said: "Passenger numbers have increased by almost 10% this year if we exclude oil-related traffic from the equation. However, the impact of the lower oil industry passenger numbers means that overall growth is 7.8%, a figure with which we are still very pleased.

"I am confident that within the next six months we will see further additions to the routes and services available at our airports that will further boost passenger numbers and choice for air travellers in the Highlands and Islands."

ENDS