THE sky above Blackpool were busier than ever this weekend, as the Southport Airshow once again brought some of Britain's most historic aircraft to the area.

Vintage aircraft -- including the only remaining working Spitfire -- took off from Blackpool on Saturday and Sunday for the annual festival.

The flights, combined with the ever growing number of commercial flights, including Ryanair's services to London Stansted and Dublin, added up to a record-breaking day for Lancashire's international airport.

As usual, the airport staged its annual open day to coincide with the Southport event. Although the usual grandstand wasn't in place, spectators were able to see the planes from the ground and find out more about services from the airport -- with Ryanair unveiling a new £30,000 makeover and rebranding for the site.

The airport's managing director, Garry Eastwood, said: "This impressive wall-to-wall advertising by Ryanair really brightens up the airport and has become a talking point for passengers, particularly those travelling with Ryanair to London and Dublin."