New data released by the UK Civil Aviation Authority has shown that more than 61 million passengers travelled through UK airports during the first three months of the year – breaking previous records for travel between January and March.
This period, which includes the initial period following the Middle East conflict, saw holidaymakers travelling towards European destinations, with passengers travelling to Madrid and Las Palmas increasing by 14% and 11% respectively.
Passenger numbers between January and March 2026 have broken a previous record
© Civil Aviation Authority
Other findings from the quarterly data include large proportional growth in passenger numbers at London Southend (+247%), Cardiff (+24%), Bournemouth (+14%) and Newcastle (+9%), with Dublin, Amsterdam, Geneva, Tenerife and Dubai proving to be the most popular destinations in Q1 2026.
Andrew McConnell, spokesperson for the UK Civil Aviation Authority said:
This strong start to the year shows just how high demand for flying remains, particularly to popular European destinations.
Even in a more challenging time for aviation, services are continuing to operate reliably and passengers are travelling in strong numbers, with that momentum set to build towards the summer peak.
