2010 wasn’t a particularly good year for UK airports, first we had the disruption caused by snow at the start of the year, followed by the volcanic ash cloud, strike action in May and then heavy snow at the end of the year.

All these factors contributed to a 3.4 % fall in passenger numbers when compared with 2009 – UK airports were down by a total of 7.4 million passengers last year. In fact the past three years have seen consecutive falls in passenger numbers and, according to figures just released by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), passengers numbers have now fallen to below those in 2004!

Commenting on the numbers, Iain Osborne, CAA Director of Regulatory Policy said, “The UK’s fragile recovery is not yet driving increases in passenger numbers. Although the decline in business travel levelled out last year, leisure travel continued to fall in 2010. Without the year’s exceptional events, with snow, strikes and volcanic ash all affecting aviation, passenger numbers overall would likely have been level with 2009.

“Although airports in the South East of England were less affected, airports in the rest of the UK saw significant falls in passenger numbers, with some now facing financial challenges as a result. Airlines have in the main coped well with unprecedented drops in passenger numbers, increasing load factors and sustaining margins where possible.”

Regional airports were proportionately more affected than London airports.

Of the London Airports, Stansted was worst affected with a seven percent drop in passenger numbers, Luton a four percent drop and Gatwick a three percent drop, London City Airport saw a small decline of 0.6% while Heathrow a small 0.2% decline.

Regional airports saw a combined drop of five percent, with Manchester, the largest regional airport, witnessing a five percent fall in passenger numbers.