NO-frills airline Ryanair hit a new high last month by carrying a record 1.2 million passengers.

Low fares and new routes helped it attract 44 per cent more passengers than the same month a year ago.

The airline, which has operations at Teesside Airport, broke through the one million barrier in August last year before reaching the milestone again three months ago.

The figures are almost 90,000 up on April, the previous high recorded by the Dublin-based group.

No-frills airlines Ryanair, easyJet, Go and Buzz carried 25 per cent of scheduled passengers between the UK and the rest of he EU last year - up five per cent.

Their expansion has also helped UK airports to withstand the impact of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Airports operator BAA said passenger traffic rose 14.9 per cent at Stansted in its recent financial year with a seven per cent increase across its Scottish airports.

However the group, which includes Heathrow and Gatwick, saw passenger numbers across its UK airports fall 2.2 per cent to 121.9 million in the year to March and pre-tax profits were down nearly eight per cent, at £505m.

Ryanair, which added ten new routes from the UK this summer, operates 76 routes across 13 countries.