The number of people using Bristol Airport has dropped by 19 per cent since the start of 2009.

In the first four months of the year, 1,446,976 people used the airport – a drop of 350,000 compared to the 1.79 million travellers during the same period in 2008.

People travelling through the airport dropped 14.3 per cent in April – the sixth month in a row passenger numbers have fallen.

The airport, which is reportedly up for sale, saw the numbers of people using charter flights in April drop 40 per cent to 41,444 passengers.

Those on international flights fell by 11 per cent to 282,729 and the number of people taking flights within Britain dropped by five per cent to 92,629 passengers.

Total passenger numbers in November dropped 12 per cent compared to last year, with December down 13 per cent.

Fourteen per cent fewer people used the airport in January, with passenger numbers sinking 26 per cent in February, and March's figures were down 23 per cent.

In April, German national carrier Lufthansa announced it was pulling out of Bristol because of a lack of demand.

Its twice-daily flights to Frankfurt, which have been half full since November, stopped earlier this month.

In a statement, the airport said: "Passenger numbers at Bristol International were impacted by temporary reductions in winter flights by several airlines but traffic is expected to return to 2008 levels or higher during the summer season.

"From May 1, the two major tour operators [Thomson/First Choice and Thomas Cook] brought in additional aircraft which will fly to holiday destinations throughout the summer.

"From mid-May easyJet began operating an eleventh aircraft at Bristol, with a twelfth aircraft providing additional capacity on the most popular routes in August.

"Ryanair will double the size of its Bristol operation with two more aircraft based at the airport from July.

"Longer-term, demand forecasts remain strong and we are committed to bringing forward plans which will meet this demand."

The airport is expected to submit its £150 million expansion plans to North Somerset Council next month.

The airport claims the scheme, which includes a hotel and multi-storey car parks, is necessary to cater for a rise in passengers from six million a year in 2008, to 10 million a year by 2016.