One of the region's airports has come out top in the latest flight performance figures released by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Newcastle Airport, which handles more than 3.3m passengers a year, had more scheduled flights on time than any other major UK airport.

Figures for the fourth quarter of 2001, between October and December, showed that 82 per cent of scheduled flights were on time - up two per cent on the previous quarter.

A total of 77 per cent of charter flights were also on time during the same period.

Average delays for scheduled flights were 11 minutes - again the lowest of the UK's top ten airports. Charter flights were delayed slightly longer, with an average of 15 minutes.

The authority said the number of flights across the country had dipped during the quarter after September 11.

Teesside Airport was not included in the survey as it is not classed as being in the top ten of UK airports.

David Laws, passenger services senior manager at Newcastle Airport, said: "We strive to achieve punctual performance through close co-operation with all airlines and handling agents.

"These latest figures reflect the successful teamwork involved."