1 September 2025
It’s a great time to be an airline pilot with UK aviation hitting record heights with more passengers flying than ever before.
New figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) show that 81 million people passed through UK airports between April and June 2025 – the highest quarterly total on record. Across the first half of the year, 141 million travellers took to the skies, putting the industry firmly back on track after the pandemic downturn.
Punctuality has also improved. Three in four flights left on time during the spring, an eight-point rise on last year. April saw the strongest performance, with 82% of flights departing as scheduled.
Selina Chadha, the CAA’s Group Director for Consumers and Markets, said,
“Aviation is experiencing strong growth, with record passenger numbers as millions take to the skies this summer. Reliable, on-time flights remain a priority, and it’s encouraging that delays are falling year-on-year.”
Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of Airlines UK, described aviation as “a growth engine for the UK,” supporting jobs and regional economies.
Freight operations are also thriving. Nearly 700,000 tonnes of cargo moved through UK airports between April and June, up 6% on 2024 and above pre-pandemic levels. Demand for Asian routes was especially strong, with shipments to Delhi up 61% and Mumbai up 41%.
For passengers, European destinations continue to dominate, with Dublin, Amsterdam, Palma de Mallorca and Alicante topping the charts. Airports in the North of England also saw sharp growth, with nearly three-quarters of a million extra passengers recorded year-on-year.
The full CAA report can be viewed here.
