PASSENGER numbers at Leeds Bradford Airport have risen to more than 3.5million over the past 12 months.

New figures show that the summer 2016 season has also seen a more than 50,000 increase in passenger numbers compared to the same period in 2015.

Leeds Bradford Airport currently offers flights to 75 direct destinations in 23 countries; alongside four hub services to Heathrow, Amsterdam, Dublin and Barcelona which connect to hundreds more worldwide destination.

The latest passenger figures keep LBA among the UK’s fastest growing regional airports in 2017, with 17 airlines and tour operators offering an expanded choice of flights and holidays.

Tony Hallwood, aviation development director, said: “We are very proud of this important achievement, marking another milestone in the airport’s history.

“ The wider choice and additional frequencies to destinations available from Leeds Bradford Airport over summer season 2016 has enabled us to welcome 3.5 million passengers and we’re really pleased.

“Demand for air travel to and from the Leeds City Region and across Yorkshire is high and we continue to be committed to widening the choice of leisure and business routes in 2017.

“Meanwhile, our terminal team look forward to delivering the very best customer service as we continue to invest in our facilities over the winter period.”

The 2017 winter season will offer LBA’s widest ever programme of flights and holidays, including six new destinations operating to Berlin, Vilnius, Warsaw, Bratislava, Guernsey and Newquay with Jet2.com, Ryanair and Flybe.

EasyJet will operate its annual ski programme to Geneva, with Jet2.com running special departures to New York and a range of European Christmas markets.

Specialist tour operators will again operate flights to see the Northern Lights and Lapland.

Jet2.com is hiring 135 more pilots and engineers and cabin crew at the airport as part of a recruitment drive.