Figures published by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) confirm that more than 81 million passengers travelled through UK airports between April and June 2026. The data marks a new record for the second quarter, representing a national passenger increase of approximately 120,000 compared to the same period last year.
This growth was heavily driven by the low-cost aviation sector. The CAA data shows that 2.25 million additional passengers flew with easyJet, Ryanair, and Jet2 during the quarter. Ryanair and Jet2 both recorded a 9% year-on-year increase in passenger volumes, with Ryanair carrying 17.1 million passengers. Meanwhile, easyJet recorded a 2% year-on-year increase, handling 16.4 million passengers
The expansion of short-haul European operations contributed significantly to the record figures, as airlines transported over one million additional passengers to Western Europe. Demand for Spanish routes grew steadily, with Madrid and Barcelona seeing passenger increases of 15% and 11% respectively. The most popular overall destinations for the quarter remained Dublin, Palma de Mallorca, Amsterdam, Alicante, and Malaga.
Regional UK airports also demonstrated strong performance. Cardiff Airport recorded the highest proportional passenger growth across the UK at 16%, followed by Newcastle and Inverness, which both saw an 8% increase.
In the long-haul market, airlines servicing Asian routes reported substantial volume growth. Passenger numbers to Pakistan rose by 307%, whilst China and India saw increases of 11% and 5% respectively. Conversely, geopolitical instability in the Middle East led to a sharp contraction in that market. Passenger volumes travelling to Dubai were halved compared with the second quarter of last year, with Middle Eastern carriers noting significant operational reductions.
