Britain's two biggest airports were busier than ever in 2014. Heathrow passenger numbers last year rose 1.4 per cent to a record 73.4 million, while a total of 38.1 million were handled at Gatwick - a 7.6 per cent increase on 2013 and another all-time high. The Heathrow numbers were boosted by a record final month of the year which saw nearly six million passengers pass through the west London airport, which was a rise of 2.4 per cent on the December 2013 figure. Heathrow Airport passenger numbers were up for 2014 - to a whopping 73.4million, an all-time high. Gatwick's December figure of 2.58 million was 8 per cent up on the same month in 2013. And when it comes to most popular destinations, Latin America has seen a spike in interest. Heathrow's full-year total included a 6.3 per cent rise in Latin America traffic, with East Asia up 5.2 per cent and Middle East and Central Asia up 3.5 per cent. In December alone, Heathrow saw over 6 million passengers come through - a 2.4% increase on 2013. Among the most popular destinations, Latin America saw a 6.3% rise in traffic. Pictured: Rio de Janeiro. At Gatwick, there was a 2.8 per cent growth in North America traffic, while other long-haul destinations grew 12.1 per cent. Bosses of both airports seized on the figures to support their case for being recommended by the Government-appointed Airports Commission this summer to be the site of a new runway. Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: 'Only by expanding Heathrow can we add direct flights to the world's growing cities, increase our exports and connect all of the UK to global growth. 'Expanding Heathrow will help Britain win the race for growth.' Not to be outdone, Gatwick also had a record-breaking year, serving 38.1million passengers. Gatwick chief financial officer Nick Dunn said: 'Our record-breaking figures show an airport serving the widest range of travel and airline models - exactly what is needed from the decision about the UK's next runway.' London's third-busiest airport - Stansted in Essex - also had a good 2014, with passenger numbers rising 12 per cent to more than 19.9 million. This was Stansted's best year since 2008 and was rounded off by December 2014 passenger levels of more than 1.5 million, an 18.5 per cent increase on the December 2013 figure.

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Heathrow passenger numbers rose 1.4% in 2014, reaching a record high. Likewise, Gatwick also saw a noticeable spike of 7.6% from 2013. Both airports have seized data in hopes of receiving a new runway in 2015.

The head of JetBlue is apologizing for a "confluence of events" that left a plane filled with passengers stranded on the tarmac at Bradley International Airport near Hartford, Connecticut, over the weekend. Chief Operating Officer Rob Maruster said in a video posted on the company's blog and its YouTube Channel that the airline had six flights divert to Hartford during the freak weekend snowstorm "due to various runway, congestion and other operational issues at Newark and JFK Airports" and that the airline "did not deplane those aircraft in our target time allotted." One of those flights, JetBlue 504 from Fort Lauderdale spent nearly eight hours stranded on the tarmac before passengers were allowed to deplane. "At no point in this weekend was safety ever compromised," Maruster said, stressing that safety was the airline's number one concern. "But let's face it, you count on us at JetBlue for a lot more -- and we promise a lot more -- and we know we let some of you down over the course of this weekend and for that we are truly sorry." Maruster said the airline intends to "fully participate with the Department of Transportation and cooperating with their investigation into events over the weekend, and we're also going to conduct an internal evaluation so that we can learn from this event because at the end of the day, you deserve better -- and we expect better from our crewmembers and our operation." "We can only earn your loyalty and trust one flight at a time and we ask you to give us a second chance." JetBlue Flight 504 departed Fort Lauderdale at 10:07 a.m. ET Saturday -- 32 minutes late. The flight made it to Newark -- just not to the runway, thanks to the weather before it was diverted to Hartford. It landed at 1:07 p.m. What came next was an eight-hour ordeal for passengers -- and crew -- as the plane sat stuck on the tarmac with little food or water. "I got a problem here on the airplane. I'm going to need to have the cops onboard," a flight crew member told the tower in a conversation posted on LiveATC.net, a website that monitors air traffic control conversations. "I need some air stairs brought over here and the cops brought onboard the airplane." Passenger Roseann Kozma explained the situation in a phone interview with CNN affiliate WTIC-TV from the plane. "A couple passengers are fighting and there's a baby on here that's been crying the whole time," she said. "We cannot go to the bathrooms anymore. There's no running water," said Todd Bailey, another passenger. "They tell us that we're going to be going in soon, going in soon, going in soon -- and it just never happens." Adding to the frustration and tension were passengers with medical conditions. "I have a paraplegic that needs to come off," the pilot said. "I have a diabetic here that's got an issue ... I've just got to get some help." But the plane was still not at a gate, further frustrating the pilot. "Look, you know, we can't seem to get any help from our own company," the pilot told the tower. "I apologize for this, but if there is any way you can get a tug and a tow bar out here to us and get us towed somewhere to a gate or something. I don't care, take us anywhere." The pilot, though frustrated, offered thanks to Bradley International officials. "Listen, I just want to put in my two cents worth in for whatever it worth. Thank you very much," he said. "It's Capt. Thompson over here on (Flight) 504 ... I think we've got more help from you guys than our own people." The passengers broke into applause when the door finally opened, saying "Let us out! Let us out! Let us out!" Passengers deplaned around 9 p.m., according to JetBlue.

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JetBlue head says the airline let some of its customers down. Rob Maruster asks for a "second chance" Pilot: Crying baby, fighting, two passengers' medical conditions ramped up tension. JetBlue apologizes, saying weather and size of airport contributed to backlog.