UK regional traffic doubles since 1990

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A report published today by the UK Civil Aviation Authority reveals startling growth in traffic at the country's regional airports

Passenger traffic at the UK's regional airports has more than doubled since 1990, according to a report published today by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The report reveals that traffic at Bristol, Liverpool and Nottingham airports increased more than tenfold in that period, as more scheduled services to mainland Europe have been added.

CAA attributed much of the growth to the liberalisation of the EU aviation in 1993, leading to the arrival of low-cost carriers and greater accessibility of air travel. The organisation also pointed to the rapid development of the commercial business at the UK's regional airports. "They have a noticeably more commercial approach than in the past—many have moved from public to private ownership—and are actively seeking new business. Increases in passenger numbers have given them the ability to improve facilities and price competitively, thus attracting even more services."

Among those airports showing the biggest traffic increases since 1990 were Manchester, where passenger numbers grew from 10.2m in 1990 to 20.9m in 2004; Birmingham (from 3.5m in 1990 to 8.8m in 2004); Edinburgh (from 2.5m in 1990 to 8m in 2004) and Bristol (from 0.8m in 1990 to 4.6m in 2004).

Click here for a summary of the CAA report.