DUBLIN AIRPORT AUTHORITY has reported a 7 per cent increase in the number of passengers travelling through Dublin Airport in September 2012.

Over 1.8 million passengers travelled through the airport last month, just over half of whom travelled to and from continental Europe.

The UK is still the single largest travel destination from the capital, with over 580,000 passengers in September – an increase of 1 per cent on the equivalent period from last year.

Just over one million passengers went to or came from the continent, an increase of 8 per cent from the equivalent month last year. Transatlantic traffic was also up, by 7 per cent, with 178,000 passengers.

Passengers to other international areas, predominantly the Middle East and Africa, reached 45,000 – almost double the same period from last year. A number of high-profile flights to the Middle East have begun since then.

The only blip was in domestic traffic, which is down by a sixth to 6,000 passengers.

The total passenger numbers for the year to date stand at 14.8 million, a 1 per cent increase on the first three quarters of 2011.