FOGGY conditions which hit pre-Christmas timetables failed to stop Southampton Airport posting record breaking annual passenger figures.

As reported in yesterday's Daily Echo 1.9 milion passengers passed through the terminal last year - an increase of 4.1 per cent on 2005.

It was the busiest year in the airport's 97 year history and came in the year that it unveiled a masterplan forecasting that in 2030 passenger numbers will grow to six million.

Southampton was among BAA's seven UK airports which dealt with 10.9 million passengers in December, a 1.6 per cent rise over the previous year.

The improvement came despite the foggy conditions which hit the airports in the traditionally busy week before Christmas.

Southampton Airport's managing director Chris Butler said that 2007 promised to be another exciting year - "We aim to pass the two million passenger milestone in the latter part of the year."

Reputation Jimmy Chestnutt, boss of the Southampton and Fareham Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: "The team at Southampton Airport has worked hard to earn its reputation as a fast track and user friendly airport.

"Southampton Airport provides a major contribution to the economy of this region.

"It enables travellers, with its route relevant services, to reach other UK cities and the rest of Europe quickly and comfortably without having to run the gauntlet of London traffic, while enabling local businesses to have access to Europe and extend into other markets."

But Mary Finch, of the Airport Pressure Group (APG), said: "It is nothing to celebrate unless you happen to be one of those people who like to hop across to their second home in France."

APG is campaigning against expansion at Southampton and other airports because of the concerns over global warming.