UK air passenger numbers break record despite Middle East disruption

Air passengers travelling through the UK have broken last year’s record, despite disruption caused by conflict in the Middle East.

More than 81 million passengers travelled through the UK between April and June, breaking last year’s record for the same period, new data released by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) shows.

Around 120,000 more passengers boarded or disembarked at UK airports in the same three-month period compared to 2025.

Industry bodies note that it is clear that the appetite for air travel has therefore remained steady despite the war in Iran, which began in early March.

Concerns were raised over the impact of air strikes, blockades in the Strait of Hormuz and fuel shortages on international air travel.

However, passenger numbers in the UK have only grown despite the ongoing conflict.

Ross Lydall, spokesperson for the CAA, commented: “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, the UK minister for aviation, maritime and logistics, added that the government “acted quickly to support airlines and airports against the backdrop of conflict in the Middle East.”

He said airlines were given greater flexibility “to lock in flight schedules early, helping to keep last-minute disruption to a minimum, with fewer than one per cent of flights cancelled at short notice between May and July.”

The CAA’s data also revealed that those travelling out of the UK were most likely to be flying in search of European sun, with passengers going to Madrid and Barcelona increasing by 15 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.

The most popular destinations in the three months were Dublin, Palma de Mallorca, Amsterdam, Alicante and Malaga.

Passengers heading to Asia also saw significant growth, especially China (+11 per cent), Pakistan (+307 per cent) and India ( + five per cent).

Meanwhile, some journeys continued to be affected by the Middle East conflict in the quarter, with passenger numbers travelling to Dubai halved compared to last year, and Middle Eastern airlines also saw significant reductions.

The CAA also found a growth in passengers flying with low-cost airlines, as 2.25 million more passengers flew with easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 compared to the second quarter of last year.

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