UK’s Civil Aviation Authority reports 7% drop in 2009 pax numbers at UK airports

UK's Civil Aviation Authority reports (15-Mar-2010) the following traffic at UK airports in 2009:

• Passenger numbers: 218 million, -7.3% year-on-year;
• Aircraft movements: 2.1 million, -8.8%. [more]

UK CAA: "Today's figures show the biggest fall in passenger numbers since the second world war, highlighting the enormous impact the recession has had on the aviation industry. Passenger numbers are now back to the level they were six years ago and, although they will certainly rebound, the pace of recovery is uncertain and it could be a number of years before they reach their peak level again," Harry Bush, CAA Director of Economic Regulation. Source: UK CAA, 15-Mar-2010.