The third quarter of 2024 was the busiest ever for UK air travel, according to new data.
Figures from the aviation data analytics company Cirium revealed that 282,775 flights departed from UK airports through Q3 2024 – which represents a record-breaking 51.24 million seats.
This surge surpassed even pre-pandemic levels, reflecting a trend of airlines operating larger and denser aircraft on UK routes to meet increasing demand, and comes at a time when global demand for air travel is beginning to exceed 2019 levels despite a slow post-Covid recovery.
Cirium reported that Dubai emerged as the top destination in the third quarter, with 10,508 flights departing the UK and 1.5 million seats available.
Amsterdam followed closely, with Mallorca, Alicante and Malaga completing the list of the top five most popular destinations, the company said.
The most heavily trafficked single route was Heathrow-New York JFK, with 2,019 flights and more than half a million seats offered during Q3.
Among UK-based airlines, easyJet led the pack with 57,527 flights in the third quarter.
British Airways and Ryanair followed, recording 46,296 and 41,099 flights, respectively.
The new figures come amid a reported recruitment battle for pilots between easyJet and British Airways due to shortages.
Flight numbers have steadily climbed throughout 2024, with 208,546 flights in Q1 and 264,158 in Q2.
But slightly lower traffic is expected for the fourth quarter, with an estimated 236,002 flights.
The aviation industry anticipates maintaining strong momentum through the end of the year.
Announcing its Q3 financial results today, International Airlines Group (IAG), which owns British Airways, said it expects its “strong financial performance to continue for the rest of the year”.
Luis Gallego, the CEO of IAG, said: “We achieved a very strong financial performance in Q3 2024, with a 15.4 per cent increase in operating profit compared to the same period last year and improving our margin to 21.6 per cent.
“Demand remains strong across our airlines and we expect a good final quarter of 2024 financially,” he added.
