Leeds Bradford Airport is on course to hit the 2million passenger mark by the end of the year.

Figures for November showed that 142,985 passengers had used the airport during the month, an increase of 26.6per cent over November 2002.

This followed a 27.3per cent increase in October and brings the total passengers for the year to date to 1.88 million.

The major contributors to the record-breaking year at Leeds Bradford have been the low cost airlines jet2.com, Ryanair and FlyBE.

In their first year of operation, jet2.com have carried 361,794 passengers to ten destinations and represent 19per cent of the airport's total traffic.

Ryanair's Dublin service has carried 211,723 passengers during the year, an increase of 38.7per cent over last year and FlyBE have taken 115,293 passengers to Belfast City Airport, an increase of 35.4per cent over 2002.

In total, the low cost airlines represented 37per cent of the airpor's total traffic in the first 11 months of the year.

Managing Director Ed Ander-son commented "We are eagerly anticipating reaching the 2 million passenger landmark by the end of what has been a fantastic year for Leeds Bradford Airport.

"We have been one of the fastest growing airports in the country and, thanks in large part to Yorkshire's low cost airline jet2.com, low cost traffic is now a rapidly increasing part of our business.

We look forward to further growth next year when we expect jet2.com to double their traffic through the airport.'

Jet2.com Chief Executive Philip Meeson said: "We have been delighted withour first year of operation at Leeds Bradford and we look forward tocontinuing to offer even lower cost travel next year."