The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has confirmed that 2025 was the busiest year ever for UK aviation.
New statistics reveal 302 million passengers passed through UK airports last year, up from 295m in 2024.
Passenger numbers have tripled since 1989 and the growth looks set to continue, with the CAA’s Annual Consumer Survey revealing 31% of Brits plan to fly more this year.
Flight delays continued to drop. Last year, 73% of flights operated on time, up six percentage points on 2024, although still behind on pre-pandemic levels.
The most popular destinations in 2025 were Dublin, Alicante, Dubai, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca.
Airports with the largest growth in passenger numbers were Edinburgh, up 8%; Liverpool, up 11% and Newcastle up 7%.
CAA Group Director for Consumers and Markets Selina Chadha said: “It has never been more popular to fly, and 2025 was officially a record-breaking year.”
UK Airlines Chief Executive Tim Alderslade said: “This data confirms aviation’s role as a growth engine for the UK economy, meeting the needs and aspirations of the British public whose desire to travel has never been greater. UK airlines are working hard to meet this demand, while providing ever greater choice and service, competitive fares and reducing our environmental impact”.
