British airports operator BAA says the timing of Easter boosted passenger numbers in April.
Heathrow, Britain's biggest airport, recorded a 2.6% annual hike in passenger traffic to 5.6 million last month, according to BAA.
The late timing of Easter this year, which fell in March last year, provided a boost across all BAA's airports, with a 2.3% decline in passenger numbers showing a marked improvement on the 11.3% plunge seen in March.
With the effect of the bank holiday break stripped out, BAA said the underlying decline remained stable at around 6.8%.
North Atlantic and UK domestic markets dipped by 7.6%, but the group said demand increased for other long-haul routes, with passengers up 1.4% - in line with reports across the wider travel sector as the weak sterling has forced travellers to non-euro destinations.
Today's update comes ahead of a major step forward in the sale of BAA-owned Gatwick, with the UK's Competition Commission expected to give its final decision on whether the three bidders would make suitable owners.
BAA - part of Spanish company Ferrovial - is selling Gatwick after the competition watchdog ruled it must dispose of three of its seven UK airports.
BAA said the rise in passenger numbers at Heathrow was the first increase in almost a year, having been in decline since May 2008.
But the buoyant Easter travel season failed to prevent a 3% fall at Gatwick, while Stansted suffered a 12.6% plunge in passenger numbers.
Stansted must also go on the sale block under the Competition Commission decision last September to force a break-up of the BAA empire after a damning report on poor levels of service for airlines. The group will also have to sell either Glasgow or Edinburgh within two years, although Gatwick is the first up for auction.
