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Annual air passenger survey: Satisfaction remains high as more use public transport to get to airport

Published:
Categories:
Airports, Consumers, Data and Statistics

At a glance:

  • The survey found that passenger satisfaction with airports remains high despite a growth in air travel. 
  • Travellers are increasingly choosing to travel to the airport by public transport, while leisure remains the key reason for flying. 

The Civil Aviation Authority has released its 2025 passenger survey, which saw about 175,000 departing passengers interviewed at eight of England’s busiest airports.  

The survey found that passenger satisfaction remains high despite passenger numbers continuing to grow. A total of 225 million passengers travelled through the eight surveyed airports, up 2% on the previous year.  

In 2025, passenger satisfaction - based on how likely respondents would be to recommend the airport to a friend or colleague - increased to a score of 8.39 out of 10, up from 8.36 in 2024.  

The findings also show that passengers are increasingly using public transport to travel to airports.  

Public transport (train, Tube/metro or bus) use increased by one point year-on-year to 38% while private modes of transport (private car or taxi) to airports fell to 62%.  

London City Airport had the highest proportion of passengers arriving at the terminal via public transport (66%, up one point on 2024), while Stansted was second (48%, also up one point).   

Business travel remains unchanged, with 13% of passengers travelling for business. This compares to 87% of passengers travelling for leisure in 2025, also unchanged on the previous year. 

The survey found that business travellers tended to be in the 35-54 age range, while leisure travellers were drawn from a broader range of younger and older people. 

Tim Johnson, Director of Consumers, Markets and Communications at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:   

“This annual survey provides a fascinating insight into the preferences of passengers travelling from the some of the country's busiest airports. 

"As the aviation industry continues to grow, it is encouraging to see that the level of passenger satisfaction with airports remains high.  

“As the way passengers travel to airports changes, it remains vital that all aspects of the journey - from doorstep to destination and back - are reliable, accessible and efficient.”