Air travel on the mend
Heathrow and Frankfurt airports are now operating the same number of transatlantic flights as this time last year.
According to OAG, a review of airline schedules for August shows that air travel in the US and the UK is increasing, although the US remains slower to recover.
Despite growth at Heathrow, flights to and from the UK are down 2% this month, compared with this time last year. UK domestic flights have increased by 3%, buoyed by the growth of no-frills carriers. OAG’s marketing director, Lynne Fraser, said: “It is encouraging to see that air traffic is increasing again and in some cases reaching pre-September 11 levels, particularly within the regions. In the UK, the intense competition from low cost carriers may account for the increase in domestic flights.”
Despite the growth of air traffic in the UK, the number of flights from Gatwick is down 2.7% from August 2001, a consequence of carriers consolidating their services at Heathrow.
According to OAG, which collates schedule data on the world’s airlines, the number of flights worldwide is just 4% below pre-September 11 levels. In the US the number of flights to and from the country are down 8%, and domestic flights are down 7%. This is an improvement on its lowest point, just after 11 September, when international and domestic flights were down 16% in the US.
Ms Fraser said: “The information the airlines provide to our database confirms that the US market is still the hardest hit, but the situation does appear to be slowly improving.” Flights from New York’s JFK are still down 15%, while flights from Los Angeles are down 21% from August 2001.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season