MANCHESTER Airport bosses are celebrating a nine per cent increase in flown cargo for August -- making it a record breaking month.

The Airport shifted 10,814 tonnes of cargo, making August the best month so far this financial year.

It took the moving annual total for flown cargo to a record 117,957 tonnes.

And the new, three times a week Dragonair service to Hong Kong and KLM's new Saturday service direct to Amsterdam are being seen as major contributors.

Dragonair's first full month's figures saw them become the seventh biggest cargo carrier at Manchester while KLM carried nearly 150 tonnes more than in July, a figure which shifts them up to fifth place.

Gordon Griffiths, Manchester Airport Business Development Manager for Cargo, said: "The increase is even more surprising when you consider that August is the peak for summer holiday travel and can reduce the cargo capacity on many aircraft.

"With the second runway due to become operational in 2001, the constraints imposed by a simple runway operation will be removed, bringing tremendous potential for further increases in cargo handling and generation."

Air Hong Kong remains the biggest cargo carrier, followed by Delta Airlines, Emirates and Continental.