MORRISVILLE, N.C. — Officials at

Raleigh-Durham International Airport

say 833,555 passengers used the airport last month, recording the highest total at the airport since August 2001.

Airport officials report an increase of 11 percent in passengers in July compared to the same travel period last year. Since January, the airport has reported only positive gains in passenger activity.

For year-to-date, the number of passengers traveling through RDU is seven percent higher than the first seven months of 2003.

American Airlines and American Eagle combined to be RDU's busiest carrier with more than 170,000 passengers and 73 daily departures. They were closely followed by Southwest Airlines and Delta, each with over 150,000 passengers in July.

Airport officials say one reason for the growth is the increasing number of flights offered from RDU.

Over the past year, airlines serving RDU have added 42 daily departures. Nine major airlines offer 488 daily flights to and from 39 cities.