THE company which owns Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports increased revenue by six per cent to £209 million last year, boosted by the attraction of new airlines and new routes, writes Scott Wright.

However, AGS Airports confirmed there will be a fall in passenger numbers at Glasgow this year following the decision by Ryanair to axe 20 of the 23 routes it operates from November.

New accounts from AGS at Companies House show that total passenger numbers rose by 5% to 15.1 million in the year ended December 31.

Glasgow , the biggest airport in the group, saw a 5.7% uplift to 9.9 million, driven by increased capacity provided by new and existing carriers. Passenger numbers at Aberdeen were static at 3.1 million, with the airport boosted by addition of new leisure following a protracted period of decline sparked by the downturn in the oil and gas industry. And there was a 6.1% rise in passengers at Southampton to 2.1 million, amid increased domestic and international traffic.

The accounts state that pre-tax profits climbed to £73 million from £26m , boosted by a £61m fair value gain on investment properties.

AGS notes that, since year-end, passenger traffic dipped by 0.7%, largely because adverse weather forced the short-term closure of the airports.