Busiest year for flights since the pandemic

2025 was the busiest year for flights since 2019, with a staggering 2,536,156 flights in UK airspace, an increase of 2.7% year-on-year.   

The busiest day was 18 July, which saw 8,340 flights, an increase of more than 100 flights compared to the busiest day of 2024.  

Unsurprisingly, July was the month with the most air traffic, hitting 248,138 flights and the most popular destinations flown to from the UK were to the Canary Islands, Italy and Spain, as passengers sought a summer holiday in Europe.  

Overall, the busiest year on record remains 2019, however, 2025 saw several other records beaten with the busiest day ever for NATS’ oceanic operation, managed from the Prestwick Centre, on 3 July, totalling 1,970 transatlantic flights. London Heathrow had an exceptionally busy Christmas Day, with 959 flights recorded, an increase of almost 50% since 2019 which saw 657 flights on 25 December.  

According to Eurocontrol, NATS handled almost 24% of European flights in 2025 and was attributable for just 1.3% of all European Air Traffic Management delay. 

NATS COO, Kathryn Leahy, said: “While air traffic levels have not yet surpassed pre-pandemic levels, we are still managing extremely busy and complex airspace. The challenges presented by geo-political airspace restrictions and bad weather remained, but coordination with airlines and airports, and across European borders, minimised disruption and most importantly, kept passengers safe.” 

ENDS 

Notes to Editors  

For more information contact the NATS Press Office on 01489 615945 or email press.office@nats.co.uk.   

About NATS   

NATS is the UK’s principal air navigation services provider and is split into two main businesses: 

• NATS (En Route) plc (NERL), which provides air traffic management services to aircraft within UK airspace and over the eastern part of the North Atlantic; and 

• NATS (Services) Ltd (NSL), which provides air traffic control services at many of the UK’s major airports (15 civil and 7 military airfields) and other airports overseas. 

NATS provides aerodrome, data, engineering, capacity, efficiency and environmental performance solutions to customers worldwide, including airports, airlines, air traffic service providers and governments.    

NATS handled 2.4m flights in the UK in the last financial year (2024/25). 

For more information visit the NATS website at www.nats.aero