BOSSES at Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA) say a move to reposition the business is starting to pay dividends after an increase in passengers.

Passenger figures for the airport's ‘core business’ - which includes scheduled services to Amsterdam Schiphol and Aberdeen as well the summer service to Jersey and tour flights with Newmarket Holidays - showed a three per cent rise for 2014 compared to the previous year, the airport said.

DTVA published its master plan in 2013 which proposed a move away from charter flights to reduce costs.

Although this means overall passenger numbers are expected to be down when the Civil Aviation Authority publishes its data later this year, passenger numbers on the remaining services rose from 136,397 in 2013 to 140,022 last year.

DTVA managing director Steve Gill said the strategy set out in the master plan meant the airport was moving in the right direction.

He added: “When we took the decision to move away from mainstream charter programmes from 2014 we understood that, in the short term, this would affect overall passenger numbers, but that it was necessary for us develop a more viable business model to help safeguard the future of aviation activity.

“Central to the new approach was working to sustain our existing scheduled services and I am pleased to say that the increase in passenger numbers on this core business does show we are moving in the right direction."

Mr Gill said the airport would work with the airlines to maintain progress.

"The start of 2015 has seen the introduction of a number of important initiatives, including our new website and state-of-the-art parking system, a new privilege club offering more benefits for passengers, improved tariffs for general aviation users and a significant marketing programme for our scheduled services.

“We have also recently launched a major business travel survey, seeking views on a wide range of factors aimed at gaining a better understanding of how the airport can help to meet business needs and enabling us to demonstrate business demands in our discussions with both new and existing airlines.”

The DTVA master plan aims to re-position the airport with a focus on business passengers and more income from aviation-related business based at the site.

The sale of land beside the airport for housing has also been proposed.