The number of travellers using UK regional airports continues to grow to almost 100 million in 2006.

The total of 98 million represented 42% of the total and was up from 95 million in 2005.

The five London airports handled 137 million passengers, a rise of three per cent year-on-year.

Last year, 28% of passengers travelled from Heathrow, a decline of three per cent since 2005.

Gatwick, Stansted and Luton retained their respective 14%, 10% and four per cent share of UK passengers, while Manchester saw a one per cent decline to nine per cent.

In its latest annual passenger survey, the Civil Aviation Authority interviewed more than 200,000 passengers at the five London airports and at Belfast City, Belfast International, Birmingham, Londonderry, Manchester and East Midlands airports.

Dublin was the most popular destination for leisure passengers at the five London airports, followed by Edinburgh, New York (JFK), Malaga and Amsterdam.

Edinburgh was the most popular route for business passengers from the London airports, followed by Dublin, Glasgow, Amsterdam and Manchester;

Across the regional airports surveyed, Palma, Alicante and Malaga were the most popular international destinations for leisure passengers and Orlando the most popular long haul point.

The most popular destinations for business travellers from regional airports were Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin and London.

Business passengers accounted for 64% of all passengers using London City, the highest proportion in the survey. This compared with 41% at Belfast City, 36% at Heathrow and 29% at Belfast International.

Business passengers using London City had the highest average individual incomes at £96,000, compared with £83,000 at Heathrow, £64,000 at Gatwick, £62,000 at Luton, and £59,000 at Stansted. Outside London, the average individual income of business passengers was lower, at £63,000 in Manchester and £49,000 at Birmingham.

Nottingham East Midlands attracted the largest proportion of leisure passengers at 88%, compared with 87% at Londonderry, 83% at Gatwick and 82% at Stansted.

The total household income of leisure passengers at London City was around £78,000 per annum, considerably more than their counterparts at Heathrow (£58,000), Gatwick (£54,000), Stansted (£47,000) and Luton (£48,000). In the regions, leisure passengers using Manchester had average total household incomes of £44,000, Birmingham and Londonderry £41,000, and both Belfast airports £38,000;

The most popular method of transport to many of the surveyed airports was by private car, used by 77% of passengers at Belfast International, 69% at Nottingham East Midlands, and the lowest, 17%, at London City. London City had the highest proportion of public transport users at 42%, while the lowest public transport usage was at Londonderry at two per cent.

The average age of passengers at the surveyed airports ranged from 44 at Manchester, Birmingham and East Midlands to 39 at Belfast City; the average age at Heathrow was 40.

by Phil Davies