Olympic effect hits British airport traffic in July: BAA

LONDON: Spanish-owned airports operator BAA said Tuesday that passenger traffic at Britain's main airports fell last month as many Britons stayed at home in order to watch the London 2012 Olympic Games.

BAA, which is part-owned by Spanish transport infrastructure giant Ferrovial, said that it handled 9.6 million passengers in July at the group's five British airports.

That marked a 4.1-percent decline from the same month of 2011, the group revealed in a statement to the London Stock Exchange.

"The drop was more pronounced in the second half of the month and it is likely that the Olympics played a part, with UK passengers staying at home as well as non-Olympic visitors from overseas choosing to defer their journeys," BAA added.

The London Olympics, which began on July 27, drew to a close on Sunday in spectacular closing ceremony featuring The Who, the Spice Girls, George Michael and Brazilian football legend Pele.

Britain won 29 golds at the Games -- its best performance since 1908 -- and finished third in the medal table behind only the United States and China. (AFP)