- The UK Civil Aviation Authority’s latest aviation trends report confirms that 2025 was the busiest ever year for UK aviation.
- New data shows that 302m passengers passed through UK* airports last year: more than the populations of the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands combined.
- This is a major milestone as UK aviation breaks through records set before the pandemic.
New data from the aviation regulator shows that UK aviation is at its busiest level on record, with a 2% increase in passenger numbers in 2025. The 302m passengers moving through UK airports was a significant increase on the 295m passenger journeys in 2024.
This forms part of a long-term growth trend for the sector, as passenger numbers have tripled since 1989. This growth looks set to continue, with the aviation regulator’s recent Annual Consumer Survey revealing that one-in-three (31%) are planning to fly more this year.
2025 also saw flight delays continue to drop, with 73% of flights operating on-time, up six percentage points on 2024, although still behind on pre-pandemic levels.
Selina Chadha, Group Director for Consumers and Markets at the UK Civil Aviation Authority said:
“It has never been more popular to fly, and 2025 was officially a record-breaking year.
“While the sector grows from strength to strength, we continue working with aviation partners to drive even higher safety standards and protect passengers when they fly.”
Keir Mather, Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister, said:
“A record year for passenger numbers underlines the importance of boosting airport capacity as we progress our work to prepare for a third runway at Heathrow, and drive forward approved expansion plans at Gatwick and Luton.
“Expansion will unlock more choice for passengers, could create thousands of highly skilled jobs, and strengthen our global connectivity, while backing UK aviation’s continued growth.”
Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of Airlines UK 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, whilst providing ever greater choice and service, competitive fares and reducing our environmental impact”.
Karen Dee, Chief Executive of AirportsUK said:
“It is great to see UK aviation continues to grow and that people view the opportunity to fly for business and leisure as increasingly important.
“This enables aviation to play its part in driving economic growth and in the social and leisure life of the UK, despite a highly competitive environment and significant potential headwinds on the horizon.
“It is vital for the sector, the regulator and government, to work together to ensure these challenges do not undermine the UK’s place a world leader in aviation and the connectivity that we rely on to reach global markets, stay in touch with friends and family, and go on much needed holidays.”
Other findings from the annual data included:
- The most popular destinations in 2025 were Dublin, Alicante, Dubai, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca.
- Other destinations with the largest increases in passenger numbers included Milan Linate (453,000 more passengers), Krakow (326,000) and Malta (301,000).
- Some of the airports with the largest growth in passenger numbers included Edinburgh (+8%), Liverpool (+11%) and Newcastle (+7%).
- UK airports also flew 3m tonnes of cargo, representing an increase of three percentage points on 2024.
Notes to Editors:
- The full data set by quarter can be found at: Aviation trends | UK Civil Aviation Authority
- CAA spokespeople are available for broadcast interviews upon request.
- The UK Civil Aviation Authority publishes quarterly summaries of data from across the aviation sector to provide a comprehensive snapshot of the UK aviation industry’s performance.
- *and Crown Dependency