Airport targets passengers from south of the Border

SCOTLAND'S second busiest airport is to attempt to lure thousands of extra passengers from northern England as it struggles to offset a 10 per cent annual fall in traffic due to the recession.

Glasgow Airport will lobby travel agents in Carlisle to send passengers north rather than south to the traditional gateway of Manchester airport.

BAA, Glasgow's owner, will highlight that the airport is 15 miles closer to Carlisle than Manchester's and English families can save by flying from Scotland after the Scottish schools have gone back in August.

Scottish travel agents applauded the move, but said it remained to be seen whether it would work.

Brian Potter, vice-president of the Scottish Passenger Agents Association, said: "There may be a psychological problem for people flying to the Mediterranean driving north to get there."