Passenger traffic through Dublin Airport last month rose 7 per cent to 2.8 million, according to figures released by DAA, the State authority that runs the airports in Dublin and Cork.

More than half of the traffic – almost 1.5 million inbound and outbound passengers – were on flights to or from continental Europe, an increase over the same month last year of 9 per cent.

UK passenger traffic was up 2 per cent to 877,000, while transatlantic numbers rose 16 per cent to 344,000, said the DAA.

The number of passengers who used Dublin as a hub for connecting flights to other destinations rose 9 per cent to 171,000. Meanwhile, passenger numbers on domestic Irish flights fell 3 per cent to 8,000 in April.

According to the DAA, last month’s level of passenger traffic was the highest for April since the airport was founded 79 years ago. About 9.3 million passengers have passed through Dublin Airport so far this year, up 7 per cent. The DAA says Dublin is the 11th busiest airport in the European Union.