GLASGOW Airport increased passenger numbers by 4.8 per cent last year to 7.71 million, the highest number since 2008, and expects to top eight million in 2015 on the back of recently-launched Ryanair services.

The airport revealed yesterday that it had rounded off 2014 with strong year-on-year growth in December.

Passenger numbers in December, at 517,031, were up 13.5 per cent on the same month of 2013.

Domestic passenger numbers were, at 293,847 last month, up by 11 per cent on December 2013. International passenger numbers were in December up by 17 per cent on the same month of 2013 at 223,184.

A spokesman for Glasgow Airport said of the international passenger growth: "A lot of that will have been Ryanair - a big boost from them."

He also cited the strong year-on-year growth in domestic passenger numbers last month, while noting budget airline Ryanair's launch of services between Glasgow and London Stansted Airport would have contributed to this.

Asked if Glasgow Airport expected further growth in 2015, the spokesman replied: "There will be. We will be back over eight million passengers this year, which is back to pre-recession levels. Ryanair adding 850,000 passengers (per year) - that is what will bring us back over the eight million mark."

Glasgow Airport highlighted the fact that 2014 had been its fourth consecutive year of growth in passenger numbers. It cited a boost from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last summer and The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in September.

The airport noted it had secured 20 new routes and services during 2014, while several airlines including Aer Lingus, Icelandair and Wizz Air had added capacity.

New routes are defined as destinations to which there have been no direct flights from Glasgow prior to their launch. Other new services would take in the launch of flights by a carrier to a destination to which another airline already flies from Glasgow.

Ryanair, which launched its new base at the airport on October 26, is already flying from Glasgow to Stansted, Dublin and Derry, as well as to Riga in Latvia, and Warsaw Modlin, Wroclaw and Bydgoszcz in Poland. And it has announced plans to start flights to Carcassone in France and Chania on the Greek island of Crete this summer.

Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: "2014 was a remarkable year for Glasgow Airport and our performance exceeded all expectations. We have now recorded four consecutive years of growth, and have succeeded in attracting 1.2 million additional passengers since 2010.

"The final quarter of 2014 was particularly strong and we start the new year in an excellent position. Having succeeded in securing 20 new routes and services in 2014, we fully expect to move back above eight million passengers this year."

Over 2014 as a whole, Glasgow Airport enjoyed a 6.9 per cent increase in international passenger numbers to 3.948 million. Domestic passenger numbers totalled 3.762 million, up by 2.6 per cent on 2013.

Looking ahead to events expected to boost traffic in 2015, Ms McMillan said: "With events such as the Turner Prize, the World Gymnastics Championships and the European Judo Championships already confirmed, 2015 promises to be yet another special year for Glasgow."

Edinburgh Airport said yesterday that its passenger numbers totalled 10.175 million in 2014, up by about four per cent on 2013.

It highlighted an 89.6 per cent rise in long-haul traffic. The airport attributed this sharp rise to the introduction of Qatar Airways' new service to Doha, and to new US routes, to Chicago with United Airlines and Philadelphia with US Airways, as well as to increased frequency from Air Canada Rouge.

In December, passenger numbers at Edinburgh were up by 7.2 per cent on the same month of 2013 at 691,922.

Aberdeen International Airport said yesterday that it had enjoyed the busiest year in its history. Its passenger numbers in 2014, at more than 3.76 million, were up eight per cent on the previous record set in 2013.