The monthly figures continue the record-breaking run the airport has had since about this time last year with Qantas and Brindabella carrying near-full ships and increasing flights as a result of seat demand.

Tamworth Regional Council’s business manager Michael Dubois said July was the second biggest month in the history of the airport – just shy of the all-time record set in April this year with nearly 12,800 passengers.

There were 12,783 passengers last month.

The Brisbane/Tamworth route operated by Brindabella Airlines chalked up its biggest month, with 1453 of that total. Figures like that, including the first magic 11,000 passengers breakthrough figure set last August, and the 12,000 milestone topped in March this year, helped give the airport its biggest year in the 55-year history of the council operation.

The July Qantas figure was 11,277 which was down on the run it has had lately.

Some of that fall has been attributed to the smaller aircraft it used a few times on the Tamworth legs last month, which is a turnaround to the recent trend of increasingly using the larger Q300 and Q400 ships which can carry substantially more numbers.

Mr Dubois said the smaller aircraft used in July by Qantas were purely a temporary move to cover maintenance requirements on the bigger planes and he expected this situation to revert to normal schedules soon because the demand for more seats was obvious.

Tamworth Airport reported a record 135,866 passengers in the 2009/2010 financial year – up from nearly 119,000 the previous year.

Mr Dubois says if the first month’s figures are any guide then the airport is on track to keep pushing to new highs this year too.

The 12 per cent increase in passengers to the end of June helped give Tamworth Regional Council a $3.1 million income and an operating result of some $858,000 for ratepayers.

Qantaslink now operates five return flights a weekday between Sydney and Tamworth, having introduced an additional early afternoon flight in March.

Brindabella operates two flights in and out of Tamworth on weekdays but also added an additional Friday service in April to cater for demand.

Brindabella has also upgraded its seating capacity on Saturdays and Sundays from 18 to 29.