BAA announces September traffic figures

BAA's seven UK airports handled a total of 12.5 million passengers in
September, an increase of 2.6% on the same month last year.

Among the individual airports, Heathrow grew for the second consecutive month,
up 0.5% as its long-haul traffic, including on North Atlantic routes, continued
to improve following the end of the Iraq war and the Sars health crisis.

Stansted grew by 18.2% and Southampton added 71.4%. Gatwick, adversely impacted
by pressures on the charter market, decreased 4.0%.

BAA's Scottish airports performed well, with Glasgow up 3.6% and Edinburgh
growing by 10.0%. Aberdeen felt the effects of continued weakness in the oil
industry, recording a fall of 0.6% in the month.

European scheduled services were the strongest performing market, up 7.6% on
the previous year. Overall, long-haul routes gained 1.5% and North Atlantic
routes decreased 1.1%. European Charter traffic fell by 7.5%. Cargo tonnage
fell 7.8 per cent.

Air transport movements in September grew by 1.1%.

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BAA Traffic Summary : September 2003                                           
                                                                               
Terminal                        %   Fin year to        %   12 months          %
                                          date:                   to           
                                                                               
Passengers (000s) Month    Change Apr to Sep 03 Change**      Sep 03  Change***
                                *                                              
                                                                               
Heathrow           5,748.2    0.5      33,305.7     -0.8    62,673.0        3.1
                                                                               
Gatwick            3,044.7   -4.0      17,708.6      1.0    29,811.3        2.6
                                                                               
Stansted           1,810.2   18.2      10,192.3     13.1    17,924.6       18.9
                                                                               
London Area Total 10,603.1    1.7      61,206.6      1.8   110,408.9        5.2
                                                                               
Southampton          129.9   71.4         722.0     64.5     1,077.5       34.8
                                                                               
Glasgow              815.0    3.6       4,742.4      4.0     8,081.6        5.9
                                                                               
Edinburgh            686.9   10.0       4,044.9      7.9     7,368.0       10.0
                                                                               
Aberdeen             233.6   -0.6       1,350.7     -2.9     2,534.7       -0.6
                                                                               
Scottish Total     1,735.5    5.4      10,138.0      4.5    17,984.2        6.6
                                                                               
BAA Total         12,468.5    2.6      72,066.6      2.5   129,470.6        5.6
                                                                               
                                                                               
Air Transport                   %    Fin year to         %   12 months        %
                                           date:                    to         
                                                                               
Movements        Month    Change*  Apr to Sep 03  Change**      Sep 03 Change**
                                                                              *
                                                                               
Heathrow           38,793    -0.8        231,180      -2.1     456,207     -0.0
                                                                               
Gatwick            22,061    -2.8        128,482      -0.7     236,372      2.1
                                                                               
Stansted           15,340    10.0         89,265       8.7     169,042     14.5
                                                                               
London Area        76,194     0.6        448,927       0.3     861,621      3.1
Total                                                                          
                                                                               
Southampton         2,965    23.2         17,946      21.0      30,944      9.5
                                                                               
Glasgow             8,030     2.5         47,984       0.3      88,857     -0.7
                                                                               
Edinburgh           9,039     0.9         53,958      -1.2     105,532      0.5
                                                                               
Aberdeen            6,760    -3.1         40,651      -3.9      79,322     -5.1
                                                                               
Scottish Total     23,829     0.2        142,593      -1.5     273,711     -1.6
                                                                               
BAA Total         102,988     1.1        609,466       0.4   1,166,276      2.2
                                                                               
                                                                               
Cargo                           %    Fin year to         %   12 months        %
                                           date:                    to         
                                                                               
(Metric Tonnes)  Month    Change* Apr to Sep 03   Change**     Sept 03 Change**
                                                                              *
                                                                               
Heathrow           94,802    -8.8        590,924      -4.9   1,222,877      2.0
                                                                               
Gatwick            17,591   -11.9        108,885      -9.8     228,301     -5.9
                                                                               
Stansted           17,548     1.8         95,721       2.2     194,195      8.9
                                                                               
London Area       129,941    -8.0        795,530      -4.8   1,645,373      1.6
Total                                                                          
                                                                               
Southampton            27    -3.6            180     -10.9         359     -7.6
                                                                               
Glasgow               564   -28.1          3,364     -12.2       4,960    -10.1
                                                                               
Edinburgh           2,299    11.7         12,774      11.8      24,390     28.2
                                                                               
Aberdeen              314     1.0          1,836      -5.9       3,491    -10.9
                                                                               
Scottish Total      3,177     0.8         17,974       4.5      32,841     15.4
                                                                               
BAA Total         133,145    -7.8        813,684      -4.6   1,678,572      1.8
                                                                               
Above data excludes Air Taxi passengers and Air Taxi movements.                
                                                                               
* compared to the month of September 2002                                      
                                                                               
** compared to the six months April to September 2002                          
                                                                               
*** compared to the twelve months to September 2002                            


Market Comparison: September 2003                       
                                                        
                    BAA Total       BAA Total           
                                                        
Market                     Sep 02      Sep 03           
                                                        
                           (000s)      (000s)   % Change
                                                        
Domestic                    2,140       2,263        5.8
                                                        
Eire                          577         570       -1.2
                                                        
European Scheduled          4,394       4,730        7.6
                                                        
European Charter*           1,823       1,686       -7.5
                                                        
North Atlantic              1,620       1,602       -1.1
                                                        
Other Long Haul             1,593       1,617        1.5
                                                        
Total                      12,147      12,469        2.6

* includes North African Charter

Note: Origins and destinations are classified according to ultimate origin or
destination of aircraft in the case of multi sector flights

Note: Figures for the market sectors have been rounded. Totals as per Traffic
Summary.



END