Exeter airport had just nine passengers in May

Just nine travellers handed by means of Exeter airport in May well in accordance to calamitous figures which clearly show the depths of the journey disaster gripping Britain.

Traveller quantities plunged from just about 100,000 a yr previously, airport bosses uncovered in evidence to East Devon Council as they sought a bailout.

There were still 99.5pc less visitors in July than past yr and the airport faces a £620,000 bill for business enterprise costs.

East Devon Council has handed a help deal which will allow £180,000 of the bill to be paid out in excess of the upcoming 3 yrs – the maximum authorized below EU condition aid regulations.

The slump has been reflected throughout Britain like at massive hub airports this kind of as Heathrow, forcing airlines and linked corporations to lay off tens of thousands of employees in a struggle to endure as a golden age for air journey arrived to crashing halt.

General, passenger quantities at UK airports could plunge by 40pc yr on yr, in accordance to Airways UK’s forecasts for the 12 months to July 2021.

Exeter suffered the double whammy when regional airline Flybe collapsed in March adopted by the pandemic that grounded  planes around the world.

It is a remarkable tumble from grace after 1m travellers utilised the site in a 12-month interval for initial time in 2019.