According to Cirium, 213,000 are planned for 2025. 25 domestic flights, while in the record year of 2006 this number was 454,000. 375. This means that there are now on average 661 fewer flights on domestic routes every day than 19 years ago.
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Prices are not rising
Sky News points out that the decline in the number of domestic flights is not due to higher ticket prices. Prices for flights from London to Edinburgh remain at a similar level after taking into account inflation. Twenty years ago they cost between £50 and £100 and now they range between £40 and £70.
Several factors contribute to the decreasing popularity of domestic flights. One of them is the development of railways, which offer more frequent and more comfortable connections. The ecological awareness of passengers is also becoming more and more important, as they are concerned about the impact of aviation on climate change. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic changed employee habits, which also resulted in a decline in demand for domestic flights.
Regional airports are closing
Major airlines are also playing their part in this change. They focus on more profitable international connections and abandon domestic routes. As a result, bankruptcies of carriers serving only domestic connections are becoming more and more common. An example is Eastern Airways, which suspended flights at the end of October. Flybe, BMI and BMIbaby have also gone bankrupt in recent years. Flybe, at one time the largest regional airline in Europe, was a symbol of this market.
The reduction in the number of domestic flights also leads to the closure of regional airports. Examples include Plymouth airport which ceased operations in 2011, Blackpool airport in 2014 and Doncaster/Sheffield airport in 2022.
