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More than 81 million passengers travelled through UK airports between April and June 2026, setting a new record for the period despite disruption linked to conflict in the Middle East.
New data from the UK Civil Aviation Authority shows that 81,158,297 passengers boarded or disembarked at UK airports during the second quarter of 2026, exceeding the 81,035,648 passengers recorded during the same period in 2025.
Demand for European holidays continued to drive growth, with passenger numbers to Madrid rising by 15% and Barcelona increasing by 11%. More than one million additional passengers also travelled to destinations in Western Europe.
Low-cost airlines played a major role in the increase, with easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 carrying a combined 2.25 million more passengers than during the second quarter of last year. Ryanair and Jet2 each recorded 9% year-on-year passenger growth.
Travel to Asia also increased, particularly to China, Pakistan and India. However, passenger numbers on some Middle Eastern routes fell significantly during the period. Travel to Dubai was reported to have dropped by half compared with the previous year as regional conflict affected travel plans.
The most popular destinations from UK airports during the quarter were Dublin, Palma de Mallorca, Amsterdam, Alicante and Malaga.
Several regional airports also recorded strong growth, including Cardiff, Newcastle and Inverness.
The figures highlight the continued strength of demand for air travel among UK passengers, with the aviation sector remaining on course for another record-breaking year despite ongoing global disruption.
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