The UK Civil Aviation Authority’s latest aviation trends report confirms that 2025 was the busiest-ever year for UK aviation
Data exhibits that 302 million passengers passed through UK airports last year, which is more than the population of the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands. This is a 2% increase from the previous year, which recorded 295 million journeys in 2024.
2025 also saw flight delays drop, with 73% of flights operating on-time, which is up by 6% from 2024. However, this is still behind pre-pandemic levels.
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."
