More people fly abroad from their local airport

The advent of no frills airlines has seen regional airline passenger numbers more than double in 15 years.

A study by the Civil Aviation Authority shows that the biggest growth from regional airports has been in scheduled services to continental Europe, spurred on by the likes of EasyJet and Ryanair.

The UK Regional Air Services report pinpoints Bristol, Liverpool and Nottingham airports as having international scheduled passenger growth of more than 1,000% since 1990.

The CAA says: “Airline have increasingly established networks at airports outside London and, coupled with a step-change in air fares, this has led to more passengers travelling abroad from their local airport.”

But an “acute shortage” of take off and landing slot at Heathrow means that passengers flying from the regions to the London hub has remained “broadly unchanged” from 1990, with some actually losing their Heathrow links.

Passenger numbers flying between the regions and London-area airports has risen by 73% since 1990 as airlines use alternatives to Heathrow.

The CAA points out that many regional airports offer “realistic alternative” connections via European hubs like Amsterdam and Paris, while Stansted is growing as a connecting airport.

The authority also urges a “cautious approach” to the use of public money through Route Development Funds to encourage new regional air services. It says there are “inherent risks of public subsidy”.

While the report does not address the environmental impact of the growth in regional flights, the CAA says it remains “committed to sustainable development of all aspects of aviation”.

It adds: “There may be some offsetting environmental benefits from more direct services from regional airports, as the number of journeys being made by road to more distant airports is reduced and pressure on congested London airports is eased.”

The CAA’s group director of economic regulation Harry Bush says: “The challenge of the policymakers is to build on the success so far by continuing to allow the interplay of commercially-minded airports and airlines to improve services and increase choice for consumers, which in turn can help to deliver broader regional development aims.”

The study shows Manchester as the biggest UK regional airport followed by Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Bristol, based on total passenger numbers.

Report by Phil Davies