UK airports brace for record-breaking Bank Holiday travel

Tomorrow will see 3,204 services departing UK airports, making it the busiest day in terms of scheduled departures for this year. Meanwhile, Monday will see 3,132 flights leave UK airports. Overall, more than 2.2 million seats will be available over the weekend; however, this number is still 6% lower than during the same weekend in 2019.

London Gatwick Airport (LGW) holds its position as the UK's second-busiest airport with significant departures planned over this period. There was potential for disruption due to planned strikes by Red Handling baggage handlers represented by Unite union but these have been called off pending a vote on new working terms.

The refueling department at Gatwick will still experience industrial action as Redline Oil Services employees strike between Friday and Tuesday after rejecting a pay offer. Despite this, easyJet plans to operate its full schedule with managers stepping in amid criticism from Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham: "Rather than negotiate with Unite and offer our members a meaningful pay rise," she stated about Redline's tactics.

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) leads in flight numbers with 2,677 departures over this period followed by London Gatwick and Manchester Airport (MAN). British travelers seem inclined towards short-haul European destinations such as Dublin Airport (DUB), Amsterdam (AMS), Palma de Mallorca (PMI), Alicante (ALC), and Malaga (AGP).