ST. LOUIS (AP) — Passenger traffic is on the rise at Lambert Airport in St. Louis.

Spokesman Jeff Lea says the airport saw a 3.4 percent increase in passenger boardings in the first quarter of 2012 over the same period last year. Connecting traffic rose 13 percent in the first quarter.

The most dramatic increase was in February, when boardings rose 8 percent and connecting traffic rose 22 percent from February 2011.

Southwest Airlines, Lambert’s largest carrier, had the biggest increase, with boardings up 6 percent.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)