THE credit crunch has caused a fall in the amount of passengers flying from Exeter International Airport as people cut back on air travel.

Figures for last month show a drop of five per cent in the number of passengers jetting off from the airport compared to the same period last year.

And the number of flights has dwindled by eight per cent, 50 across the month.

The picture is familiar across the country, with several of the UK's busiest airports reporting severe drops in air traffic.

The downturn looks set to end almost two decades of unbroken growth in UK air travel, which has risen every year since 1991.

Rising food, fuel and council tax bills have caused householders to cut back on luxuries including travel.

Airport bosses say the current economic crisis has caused people to think twice about taking breaks.

However, they insist people are still taking holidays.

Airport deputy managing director Jamie Christon said: "The economic downturn is one of the reasons the figures are down.

"People haven't got the money for discretionary leisure travel. These figures weren't unexpected.

"People are still going on holiday, they just can't afford the extra breaks they were previously taking.

"However, our package holidays are still two per cent up on last year.

"I know that several airports across the country are seeing a drop in passenger numbers but we are holding our own because of the strength of Flybe.

"Our biggest benefit is that we have two very strong airlines, and that is Flybe and TUI.

"They have confirmed that they are not cutting any capacity."

Mr Christon said that last month's slump was due in part to 2007's figures being inflated by the August bank holiday falling partly in September.

He said: "Our figures are down on last year, but this is partly because the bank holiday last year went into September.

"People who were away for that weekend were arriving back in September. That gave us the benefit of extra figures last year but this year, the whole week fell in August.

"That last week in August is always a high-selling week and it has made a difference in the figures."

Mr Christon said the airport was bracing itself for a "tough" winter.

"Like for most businesses, it's going to be a tough winter, but we've planned for that," he said.

Tony Bosworth, Friends of the Earth aviation campaigner, said the national figures showed that the Government should order an immediate review of airport expansion.