Flights to London airports rise while other airports fall despite drive to boost regions
Flights to London airports saw a large increase in 2014 but fell in the rest of the UK, despite a drive to boost regional airports.
According to annual airport passenger numbers published by the CAA, there were 31,000 (3.2%) more air transport movements – landings or take-offs of commercial aircraft – at the London airports in 2014 than the previous year.
In contrast, the number of movements at all other UK airports fell by 4,000.
Iain Osborne, director of regulatory policy at the CAA, said: "Our latest figures show that while passenger demand is increasing across the UK, flight numbers are growing much faster at London airports than elsewhere.
"This situation highlights both the pressures on airspace in the South East and the need for more runway capacity in London."
Overall the data showed that passenger numbers hit 238m in 2014, just short of the 241m peak reached in 2007.
Over half of passengers were travelling to Europe with Spain remaining the most popular European destination. It saw a 4.7% year-on-year increase, topping the destination charts for more than 25 years.
Poland, on the other hand, experienced the largest fall in passengers, dropping 2%.
The UAE saw the largest passenger growth outside Europe, up 430,000 (7.%) to 6.2m.
While Australia saw the largest decline is passengers, down by a third from 744,000 to 488,000 in 2014.
Diane
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