40 Busiest UK Airports By Passenger Traffic

This is a rundown of the 40 Busiest UK Airports, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man positioned by aggregate traveller activity, arranged from Civil Aviation Authority information from 2006. For a few years, the figures additionally demonstrate add up to air ship developments and freight volume is taken care of at every aeroplane terminal. For a total rundown of United Kingdom air terminals, see the list of airports in the United Kingdom and the British Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom, an island nation, is home to biggest and busiest airports in Europe’s.

passengers at Heathrow airport terminal
Heathrow Airport (LHR), which handles more than 75 million universal travellers every year, is the biggest aeroplane terminal in the United Kingdom. London fills in as the biggest flight centre point on the planet by passenger movement, with 6 universal airport terminals, taking care of more than 133 million travellers each year. Heathrow Airport Holdings (proprietor of London Heathrow), trailed by Manchester Airports Group (proprietor of Manchester, London Stansted, East Midlands and Bournemouth). Together with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways, they are a piece of the Aviation Foundation which campaign for the aeronautics needs of the United Kingdom.

London’s second-busiest air terminal, London Airport Gatwick (LGW), is the world’s busiest single-runway airport.

Manchester Airport is the United Kingdom’s 3rd-busiest air terminal. London Stansted Airport and London Luton Airport are the 4th-and 5th-busiest airport terminals individually.

The 40 Busiest UK Airports by Total Passenger Traffic

The accompanying is a list of the 40 Busiest UK airports by aggregate passengers activity from UK CAA insights.

  • Airport Ranking by International Passenger Traffic
Ranks Airport Airport Codes UK IATA      
1
London Heathrow Airport
LHR Located west of Central London, Heathrow is the UK’s largest and busiest airport, serving as a major international hub. In 2024, it handled a record 30.7 million passengers between June and September alone, with an annual forecast of 83.8 million passengers. There is numerous business worldwide aeroplane terminals inside the United Kingdom and loads of other residential or private runways.

Heathrow Airport is presently the busiest air terminal in the UK and serves travellers for domestic flights inside and outside the rest of the UK. The United Kingdom is a small nation however it can take hours to drive from one end of the country to the next which is the reason residential domestic flights are prevalent from the smaller airport terminals.

These are the Top 40 busiest airports in the UK:

The above tables demonstrate the number of travellers for the main 40 busiest airports in the UK for a year ago (2016) and the year past (2015) and also the Year on Year change between them.

Aeroplane terminal Information Index:

1. The busiest aeroplane terminal are positioned relying upon the number of passengers travelling to or from every air terminal.

2. Travellers may just be discovering corresponding flights from an air terminal to another destination.

3. Traveler Number information is identified with the Airport Council International evaluated entire year figures for 2016.

2
London Gatwick Airport
LGW London Gatwick Airport (LGW) – Situated south of Central London, Gatwick is the second-busiest airport in the UK. In 2024, it experienced significant growth in long-haul services and projected handling 44.3 million passengers, slightly below its pre-pandemic peak.
3
Manchester Airport
MAN Located in the northwest of England, Manchester Airport is the busiest airport outside of London. It has seen record traffic in the past 12 months, contributing significantly to the UK’s aviation sector.
4
London Stansted Airport
STN Serving as a base for several low-cost airlines, Stansted is a key gateway to Europe. It has also reported record passenger numbers in recent years.
5
London Luton Airport
LTN Located to the north of London, Luton primarily serves European destinations and has seen significant passenger traffic, although specific recent figures are not provided in the available sources.
6
Edinburgh Airport
EDI As Scotland’s busiest airport, Edinburgh connects passengers to numerous domestic and international destinations.
7
Birmingham Airport
BHX Serving the Midlands, Birmingham Airport is a major hub for both domestic and international flights.
8
Glasgow Airport
GLA One of Scotland’s main airports, Glasgow handles a substantial number of passengers annually. In November 2024, it was part of a £1.53 billion acquisition deal.
9
Bristol Airport
BRS Serving the southwest of England, Bristol Airport has unveiled a £400 million renovation project to expand its terminal by 70%, aiming to accommodate up to 12 million passengers annually.
10 Belfast International Airport (BFS) BFS The busiest airport in Northern Ireland, offering flights to numerous destinations.
11 Newcastle International Airport (NCL) NCL The primary airport for northeast England, offering flights to various domestic and international destinations.
12 Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) LPL Recognized for its friendly staff and efficient service, contributing to a stress-free travel experience.
13
East Midlands Airport
EMA Serving the Midlands, it is a hub for low-cost carriers and cargo flights.
14
London City Airport
LCY Located in the Docklands area, it is favored for its convenience, especially among business travelers.
15
Leeds Bradford Airport
LBA Serving West Yorkshire, it offers flights to various European destinations.
16 Aberdeen International Airport ABZ A key airport in Scotland, particularly for the oil and gas industry.
17
Belfast International  City Airport
BHD The busiest airport in Northern Ireland, offering flights to numerous destinations.
18
Southampton Airport
SOU Serving the south coast of England, it was included in the £1.53 billion sale alongside Aberdeen and Glasgow airports.
19
Jersey Airport
JER Serving the Channel Islands, it handles a significant number of passengers annually.
20
Cardiff International
CWL The main airport in Wales, offering international and domestic flights.
21
Doncaster Sheffield
DSA Serving the Scottish Highlands, it provides connections to several UK and European cities.
22
Guernsey Airport
GCI  
23
London Southend
SEN  
24
Exeter International
EXT  
25
Isle of Man Airport
IOM  
26
Inverness Airport
INV  
27
Glasgow Prestwick
PIK  
28
Bournemouth
BOH  
29
Norwich Airport
NWI  
30
Newquay Airport
NQY  
31
City of Derry Airport
LDY  
32
Sumburgh Airport
LSI  
33
Humberside Airport
HUY  
34
Kirkwall Airport
KOI  
35
Scatsta Airport
SCS  
36
Durham Tees Valley
MME  
37
Stornoway Airport
SYY  
38
St Mary’s Airport, Isles of Scilly
ISC  
39
Land’s End Airport
LEQ  
40
Alderney Airport
ACI          

On the other hand see the Top 10 Best Airports In The World 2017?

Please note that passenger numbers can fluctuate annually due to various factors, including airline operations, economic conditions, and global events. To get the most accurate statistics, consult official reports from the Civil Aviation Authority. You may also check the airports’ official publications.

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