Passenger numbers at regional airport operator Hial have reached a new record level, the company has reported.

Almost 70,000 extra passengers used the group's 11 airports during the year during the 2013-14 period - a rise of 5.4 per cent, taking the overall amount to 1.36 million.

The fastest-growing airport in the group was Sumburgh, which saw passenger numbers rise by 32.2 per cent as a result of increased energy sector traffic.

Inverness Airport recorded its busiest year for five years, with the number of passengers growing to 619,000, due to increasing demand for the airport’s domestic and international network, including a new winter service to Geneva.

There was a substantial increase in levels of capital investment during the year, funded by Hial's cash reserves. This led to a rise in operating loss from £769,000 to £3.78 million.

Inglis Lyon, managing director of Hial, said record passenger numbers and significant levels of investment made 2013-14 a particularly successful year.