British airports group BAA said today that the foot-and-mouth crisis had crimped its results, but full-year profits still jumped 15.2% to £530 million.
BAA, which runs seven British airports and 12 others elsewhere, said revenues grew 5% in the year to March, and passenger growth increased 5.8%.
Chief executive Mike Hodgkinson said that in Britain, Heathrow passenger numbers continued to advance despite capacity constraints, while Stansted airport northeast of London was the fastest growing major airport in Europe, with passenger growth of 23.8%.
But he added: 'Looking to the immediate future, the outbreak of foot and mouth disease, which undoubtedly reduced passenger traffic growth in March and April as in-bound tourists delayed or cancelled visits to the UK, will continue to have an impact for the next few months.'
BAA remained confident however that strong growth would resume in the second half of the year.
