Low-cost airline easyJet said it carried almost three million passengers in November, an increase of 3.4 per cent on a year earlier.

The airline’s planes were also fuller during the month — an improvement likely to reflect the removal of some lower yielding flights from its winter schedule.

However, the changes also meant the growth in passenger numbers was down from the rate of around 20 per cent seen in the summer.

Meanwhile, British Airways has revealed it carried just over 2.42 million passengers last month - 7.8 per cent fewer than November, 2007.

Ryanair said its passenger numbers rose 11 per cent to 4.3 million last month.