Passenger numbers at Frankfurt Airport rose 5.6 percent in July from a year earlier to 4.75 million, boosted by improved tourist traffic, German airport operator Fraport said on Thursday.

Air freight at continental Europe's largest passenger and freight hub was up 16 percent in July from the same month a year ago at 146,188 tonnes, Fraport said in a statement.

"Tourist spots in the Mediterranean, specifically Spain, were heavily in demand," said Fraport. "Vacation flights to Egypt and Tunisia were likewise booked frequently. Intercontinental traffic too continues to generate growth."

The air travel industry is recovering from the effects of the conflict in Iraq, the SARS virus and struggling economies, which put some people off flying a year ago.

Lufthansa, Fraport's biggest airline customer at Frankfurt, said Tuesday it carried 16.3 percent more traffic in July than a year earlier, boosted by growth on its Asia-Pacific routes, as well as gains in Europe and on Middle East and African services.

Fraport's larger British rival, BAA, said on Wednesday that its July passenger count rose 8 percent as long-haul travel returned to levels seen before the September 2001 attacks in the United States.

Fraport's six airports, which also include Frankfurt-Hahn and Turkey's Antalya Airport, had 7.91 million passengers in July, an increase of 10.5 percent from a year earlier.

Frankfurt airport's traffic increased 7.8 percent in the first seven months of this year from a year earlier.

(Reuters)