The financial turmoil has affected booking for long-haul flights, British Airways said, as it revealed that traffic had decreased by 4.8 per cent in September, with a decline in premium passengers of 8.6 per cent. The airline admitted that there was a risk that its full-year revenue forecasts would not be met.

BA, whose shares fell 7.15 per cent to 165.4p, said that the decline had led to a 4.3 percentage point fall in its load factor – a key measure of how full its planes are – to 74 per cent, compared with the same month a year ago.

“Long-haul premium traffic has softened after the summer and bookings are being affected by the increased anxiety in financial markets and by the uncertain economic outlook,” BA said.

Ryanair, the Irish airline, said that it had carried 5.23 million passengers last month, a 20 per cent increase on September 2007. Its aircraft were 84 per cent full in September, compared with 85 per cent 12 months earlier.

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