Stansted airport traffic slumps

"BAA saw passenger numbers fall 7.3pc last month after the recession impacted North Atlantic traffic and airlines slashed capacity at Stansted. The company, which operates seven UK airports, said demand remained weak after monthly figures showed it handled 11.8 million passengers in May. Heathrow recorded a smaller drop of 3.9pc on a year earlier as BAA said the airport demonstrated its “resilience” and importance as an international hub. Gatwick improved on recent trends with a decrease of 6.5pc but traffic at Stansted slumped by 18.5pc as BAA said some airlines continued to reduce schedules in response to the economic downturn."