// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Scottish airport numbers soar despite Middle East turmoil
The number of passengers passing through Scotland's airports rose sharply in the spring, largely driven by budget airlines.
Despite the disruption caused by the war in the Middle East, almost 300,000 extra travellers took flights compared to the same period last year, a 4% increase.
State-owned Prestwick Airport was also particularly busy with freight flights, seeing a near three-fold year-on-year increase in cargo volumes.
Amsterdam, Dublin and Palma de Mallorca were the most popular passenger destinations, followed by Alicante, Malaga and Paris.
Scotland's busiest terminals at Edinburgh Airport welcomed an extra 200,000 passengers between April and June, an increase of 5%.
Glasgow saw a 3% rise and at Inverness Airport the figure was up by 8%, according to latest figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
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The passenger growth was mostly due to budget airlines, with Ryanair carrying 13% more people.