THE volcanic ash cloud cost Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA) 100,000 passengers and its owners Peel Airports £1m – but it still achieved a 5% increase in traffic in the first half of 2010.

The grounding of flights in April and May ended five months of rising passenger numbers at JLA, but there was a strong return in June.

The disruption from the ash is estimated to have cost Peel Airports more than £1m across its three airports. Liverpool accounts for about 80% of the group’s passenger traffic, which also operates Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield and Durham Tees Valley Airport.

Despite the unprecedented problems which saw airspace closed for six days in April with more flights cancelled in early May, new JLA passenger figures show a 5% improvement in the first half of the year. Without the volcanic ash disruption, growth would have been about 9%.

JLA spokesman Robin Tudor said: “The fall in April was attributed of course to the Icelandic volcano ash cloud.

“The six consecutive days of airspace closure in April saw the cancellation of around 800 flights to or from the airport, with approximately 100,000 passengers less travelling through here as a consequence.

“There was also further less severe disruption in May. Without the ash cloud, the additional 100,000-plus passengers would have maintained the monthly year-on-year growth seen in the first quarter.”