Scotland`s busiest airports continued their run of growth last month, the results of a massive growth in international travel to and from Scotland.

Airport operator BAA Scotland revealed the number of passengers using Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen Airports last month totalled 1.6 million, an increase of 3.2% on the same point last year.

The figures were boosted by the Easter getaway, which helped drive international traffic across the three airports by 15.5%. As with previous months, domestic traffic fell as more passengers opted to fly direct to and from Scotland, bypassing the south east.

More than 256,000 passengers travelled during the Easter weekend alone.

Edinburgh Airport was Scotland`s busiest airport with 700,140 passengers, a rise of 1.7% on last year. International traffic grew by 27.5%.

Faro was the fastest growing international destination, enjoying a three fold increase in passenger numbers. Geneva, Barcelona and Copenhagen also recorded massive growth, with passenger numbers more than doubling. Meanwhile, new flights to Helsinki, Gdansk and Katowice got off to a promising start.

In the 12 months to April, passenger numbers rose 5.4% to 8.5 million, a new high for the capital`s airport.

Passenger numbers at Glasgow Airport grew by 2.2% to 655,413. International traffic increased by 5%.

The Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh was the fastest growing international destination, recording a near three-fold increase in passenger numbers, a reflection of Egypt`s growing popularity among Scots travellers. Other long haul flights to Toronto, Vancouver and Dubai also gained in popularity.

In the 12 months to April, Glasgow Airport handled 8.8 million passengers, a rise of 2.5% on the same point last year.

Aberdeen Airport was again the fastest growing of BAA Scotland`s airports with passengers numbers rising 10% to 255,344. International traffic leapt 27.2%, with Oslo, Bergen and Copenhagen the fastest growing international destinations. Helicopter traffic grew 8.3%.

In the 12 months to April, Aberdeen Airport handled nearly three million passengers, a rise of 10% on the same point last year.

Stephen Baxter, managing director of BAA Scotland, said: Our airports are continuing to grow in popularity, attracting records numbers of passengers month after month. Passengers are increasingly choosing to fly direct to and from Scotland, but this hasn`t happened by accident. It is the result of a concerted drive, by BAA, our airline partners and our tourism industry, to improve Scotland`s connectivity, to deliver better customer service, and to invest in our airports.

In the 12 months to April, BAA Scotland`s airports handled 20.3 million passengers, a rise of 5% on the same point last year.