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UK aviation hits record passenger numbers, despite Middle East disruption

NEW UK Civil Aviation Authority data shows more than:- 81 million passengers travelled through UK airports between:- April and June 2026, breaking last year's record for travel in the same period.

This continued the trend seen in the:- 1st 3 months of 2026 of holidaymakers flying in search of European sun. The number of passengers travelling to Madrid and Barcelona increased by:- 15% and 11% respectively.

Asia also saw significant growth in passenger numbers, especially:- China (+11%), Pakistan (+307%) and India (+5%).

Ross Lydall, Spokesperson for the UK Civil Aviation Authority said:- "Demand for flying remains high, as passengers adjust their travel plans around global events. These results highlight the sector's resilience and hard work and keep it on course for another record-breaking year."

Keir Mather, Aviation, Maritime and Freight Minister, said:- "Our aviation industry continues to show its strength and resilience, with record numbers of holidaymakers taking off this Spring, helping to support jobs, businesses and growth across the UK. We acted quickly to support airlines and airports against the backdrop of conflict in the Middle East, including giving airlines greater flexibility to lock in flight schedules early, helping to keep last-minute disruption to a minimum, with fewer than 1% of flights cancelled at short notice between May and July. This shows that our action, alongside the resilience and hard work of airlines and airports, is paying off and we will keep working with industry to keep people and businesses moving."

A total of 81,158,297 passengers boarded or disembarked at UK airports between:- April and June, up more than:- 120,000 on the 81,035,648 recorded in the same 3 month period in 2025.

The quarter also saw a growth in the number of passengers travelling with low-cost airlines, with:- 2.25 million more passengers flying with easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 compared to the 2nd quarter of last year.

Karen Dee, Chief Executive of AirportsUK, the trade association for UK airports, said:- "It is good to see that air travel has continued to grow, despite ongoing challenges in places like the Middle East. As an island nation, our air links play a pivotal role in business, trade, investment and tourism so it is extremely important that we support and grow our connectivity.  This will contribute towards the economic growth which is key to the UK's future prosperity."

 A spokesperson from Airlines UK, the trade body for UK registered airlines, said:- "This data confirms aviation's importance to the British public, its vital role as a growth engine for the UK economy, and its resilience in the face of geopolitical turbulence. Satisfaction with air travel has never been higher, with UK airlines continuing to work hard to meet growing demand whilst providing choice, service and competitive fares and reducing our environmental impact." 

Other findings from the quarterly data included:-

• Some of the airports with the largest proportional growth in passenger numbers included Cardiff (+16%), Newcastle (+8%) and Inverness (+8%).
  
• The most popular destinations in Q2 2026 were Dublin, Palma de Mallorca, Amsterdam, Alicante and Malaga.
  
• This period coincided with a continuation of the conflict in the Middle East, impacting passengers in some regions and leading to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to advise against non-essential travel to the region until June 18. Passenger numbers travelling to Dubai halved compared to last year, and Middle Eastern airlines also saw significant reductions.

The full data set can be found here. What are your thoughts on this news topic? Email our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:- Mastodon, Facebook, or Twitter as we love to hear your views....