It's that time again – the summer holidays have officially kicked off, and our airports feel busier than ever as families and travellers seeking a hit of Euro summer sunshine descend on the runways. But what are the UK's busiest – and quietest – airports? While many of us don't put too much stock in the airport we depart from – choosing the nearest, cheapest or most convenient transport hub to book flights from – knowing which airports are likely to be the most crowded can be handy information for anyone who wants a more peaceful travel experience. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the UK's busiest airports for international passengers are in London.
Just one airport in the top five, in fact, is outside of the UK's capital city. When it comes to the quietest airports, smaller regional airports – especially those in locations that might be hard to reach for most of the country, such as Norfolk or Cornwall – tend to be among the least busy. Below, find the top five busiest and top five quietest airports for international passengers in the UK, based on passenger data from 2023.
The top five busiest airports in the UK remains unchanged from last summer – four (Luton, Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow) are in London, while one northern hub also makes the list. The UK’s fifth busiest airport is a favourite for those last-minute city breaks . Admittedly, it’s often not the most accessible transport hub – get stuck here late at night without an onward plan, and you could face a hefty taxi fare back to the capital – but cheap flights mean it’s a popular choice nonetheless.
It’s little surprise, then, that more than 13 million travellers passed through Luton in 2022. Look to Luton for those underrated city breaks, such as a weekend trip to Lublin or Poznan in Poland or an escape to Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana. London’s third major airport is comparable – in passenger numbers, at least – to Manchester , which pips this Essex(ish) travel hub to the post.
But Stansted could give busier London airports a run for their money if plans go ahead. Airport bosses recently announced a planning application for terminal expansion, including three aircraft bays, a larger security hall and departure lounge, and more baggage capacity. Exciting new routes have also been announced, including AnadoluJet’s direct flights between London Stansted and the Turkish capital Ankara.
Manchester is the only airport outside London to appear in the busiest five, welcoming just a few thousand more travellers than Stansted last year. The airport’s extensive scale and exceptional amenities enable it to cater to a greater number of long-haul flights, meaning it’s the best alternative to Heathrow for lovers of tropical escapes and winter sun . Since the start of 2023, post-Covid confidence in Manchester Airport has returned, and direct flights to mainland China, Las Vegas , and Cairo have resumed.
Gatwick sits solidly in second place. Manchester is unlikely to threaten this Sussex transport hub’s ranking anytime soon as. That said, 47 airlines service Gatwick, flying to 165 destinations.
It’s a popular lift-off point for short-haul business travellers thanks to British Airways’ business class offering and multiple lounges, while the hub is increasingly attracting long-haul travellers with recently added routes to destinations such as Aruba, Cape Town, and Vancouver. It is no surprise to the avid traveller that London Heathrow is the busiest airport in the UK. Queen Elizabeth II opened the central terminal room in 1955, and the terminals have had their fair share of involvement in some pop culture moments – the Love Actually opening montage may come to mind, or Bend It Like Beckham snippets, perhaps.
Hilton, Premier Inn, Sofitel, and Radisson Blu are just a few of the hotels within easy reach of Heathrow’s terminals, which fill up with business travellers catching transatlantic red-eyes and connecting passengers catching some shut-eye. The quietest airports in the UK are spread across the country. It’s possible to fly to 19 destinations with nine airline partners from Newquay Airport – the largest aviation hub in Cornwall .
This includes seven international destinations, while most of the routes connect Cornwall to other areas of the UK and Ireland , making the best beaches in Cornwall easier to reach for Londoners, Geordies and Dubliners than ever. While nothing beats a leisurely train journey from the capital, in our opinion (it also causes a lighter carbon footprint), these regular summer flights are undeniably ideal for time-poor business travellers, especially when connecting. Just under half a million people passed through Norwich Airport in 2023, making it the fourth-quietest in Britain.
There’s an executive lounge for business travellers, a bakery for picking up pre-plane snacks, a retail store and a World Duty Free outlet. Soak up the relative peace during off-peak times before heading on a flight to somewhere like Ibiza , Crete , or Menorca . Teesside International Airport, in County Durham, flies to a handful of sought-after destinations such as Mallorca, Amsterdam and Corfu.
There are also a number of domestic flights available from this airport, such as Jersey in the Channel Islands and Aberdeen in Scotland. The airport's location in the far north of England probably contribute to the low passenger numbers in 2023. Despite being officially called London Southend airport, you'll actually find this transport hub in Essex.
You can catch flights here to holiday hotspots such as Pisa, Marrakech, Tenerife and Paris, but it remains one of the UK's quietest airports with just under 150,000 passengers in 2023. Humberside’s North Lincolnshire location is ideal for Grimsby, Hull and Scunthorpe residents searching for their next break. As the UK’s quietest airport, there are a limited number of destinations on offer, but before your flight jets down to Newquay or towards European cities such as Amsterdam and Palma, expect to whizz through those security lines in a way Heathrow passengers could only dream of.
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