The number of passengers passing through European airports fell 12.4 percent in the first quarter of 2009 and freight traffic was down 23.1 percent, airports body ACI Europe reported Friday.

March passenger traffic was down 12.6 percent year-on-year at the 102 airports represented by ACI Europe, while freight was down 21.4 percent.

The figures follow a week in which Spanish airline Iberia reported a worse-than-expected EUR147 million euro first quarter operating loss and reminded investors that it also expected a net loss for the full year.

Germany's Lufthansa last month reported a better-than-expected EUR44 million first quarter operating loss, and in March Europe's largest airline Air France-KLM ruled out making a profit this year.

Exceptions to the decrease in airport traffic included Stockholm with a 19.6 percent increase and Berlin Schonefeld with a 1.5 percent increase.