The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has confirmed a record-breaking second quarter for UK aviation despite disruption in the Middle East.
New statistics reveal that 81,158,297 passengers travelled through UK airports between April and June, up more than 120,000 on the same period last year.
The CAA attributes the growth to demand for low-cost carriers, with Ryanair and Jet2 both recording a 9% year-on-year growth.
Short-haul European travel was also a key driver as more than one million additional passengers flew to Western Europe, including a 15% and 11% rise for Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
The most popular destinations were Dublin, Palma de Mallorca, Amsterdam, Alicante and Malaga.
Airports with the largest proportional growth included Cardiff, up 16%, Newcastle, up 8%, and Inverness, up 8%.
Asia also saw significant growth, led by Pakistan, up 307%, along with China, up 11%, and India, up 5%.
Meanwhile, Middle East routes reported sharp declines, with United Arab Emirates recording 771,247 fewer passengers from UK airports, down 42%. Qatar fell 45% (-391,591), Saudi Arabia 40% (-165,739), Bahrain 54% (-81,840) and Kuwait 68% (-67,810).
CAA spokesperson Ross Lydall 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.”
Aviation, Maritime and Freight Minister Keir Mather 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.”
Chief Executive of AirportsUK Karen Dee 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 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.”
