Gloucestershire Airport tops UK movement charts

Which is the busiest General Aviation airfield in the UK? We’re talking aircraft movements for non-commercial aviation (ie not the airlines).

Top of the list according to figures released by the CAA for 2023 airport movements is Gloucestershire Airport with a total of 66,106.

Second is London Oxford Airport with a total of 53,370 with the majority of that traffic being pilot training. Third is Brighton City Airport (Shoreham) with 40,035.

The CAA says it collects statistics from more than 60 UK airports. Information is supplied on each individual air transport flight with other movements, for example Private or Aero Club, being reported as a block monthly total. Smaller airfields and private strips are not included in the figures.

The data is split into Commercial and Non-Commercial which are further sub-divided. The UK’s busiest airport is, not surprisingly, London Heathrow with a total of 456,600 movements.

FLYER’s unofficial table of the top 7:

1. Gloucestershire 66,016 movements
2. London Oxford 53,370
3. Brighton City/Shoreham 40,035
4. Blackpool 33,211
5. Southend 29,429
6. Coventry 26,983
7. Lydd 25,091

*Not including military or commercial flights

CAA Airports Data