The number of UK domestic flights has fallen by more than half over the past two decades, dropping from a peak of over 450,000 flights in 2006 to just over 213,000 scheduled for 2025, according to new research.
New data released by aviation analytics firm Cirium suggests that the dramatic decline is due to a combination of factors:
- Higher Air Passenger Duty (APD) Tax: The doubling of APD rates in 2007 is cited as a significant turning point, prompting airlines to drop domestic routes.
- Shifting Environmental Concerns: Growing public demand for more sustainable travel options is influencing passenger choices.
- Airlines’ Strategy: Carriers are prioritising short-haul international services to destinations like Spain, France, and Italy, where they can generate greater profits.
The shrinking flight numbers have been matched by a significant drop in capacity. The number of available seats on domestic routes has fallen by 35%, from 39.1 million in 2006 to 25.5 million scheduled for 2025. This means approximately 37,000 fewer passengers are flying on internal UK services each day.
The contraction has had a noticeable impact on regional aviation infrastructure, including the closure of Doncaster Sheffield, Blackpool, and Plymouth airports.
The demise of Flybe, once the largest domestic operator, during the 2020 pandemic also contributed to the immediate reduction in availability, though the overall decline trend was already established.
Cirium says that, while the pandemic accelerated changes, the overall trend started before 2020 and, even compared to pre-pandemic levels, 2025 will see 75,896 fewer flights scheduled.
The number of available domestic seats has also continued to fall more recently, with almost a million fewer seats now available compared to 2024.
Most recently, the UK regional airline Eastern Airways went into administration in October, with the loss of around 10,000 flights per year.
“This reduction over the past two decades shows a staggering change in the way we travel throughout the UK,” said Jeremy Bowen, Cirium CEO. “Passengers are looking at more sustainable and affordable ways to travel domestically, so airlines have responded by reducing their internal services and prioritising more popular destinations.”
The change in domestic travel behaviour coincides with a significant shift to rail.
Data from the Office of Rail and Road shows that passenger rail usage has increased by 50% over a similar period, rising from 1.15 billion passengers in 2005/6 to almost 1.73 billion in 2024/5.
Eastern Airways is the latest UK regional carrier to fail.
