How Many Airports Are There in the United Kingdom?
In the United Kingdom, there are over 40 airports. Some of them are small and private airports and some are large, international locations.
Northern England, England and Wales, Scotland, and the UK Midlands are also home to many international airports, which comprise the 40 airports in England.
The airport industry is busy in England’s capital city of London. It is considered by millions as one of the busiest airport hubs in the world. Learn more about these and many other airports in the United Kingdom.
London’s six airports service hundreds of cities all over the world. The most famous London airport is London Heathrow Airport (LHR). The six airports in London are as follows:
London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
London Gatwick Airport (LGW)
London Stansted Airport (STN)
London Luton Airport (LTN)
London Southend Airport (SEN)
London City Airport (LCY)
Heathrow is London’s busiest airport and, prior to the pandemic, serviced over 80 million travelers annually. Londoners like Heathrow as it is accessible from the city by train in just 15 minutes.
Heathrow is considered the world’s second busiest airport and operates four terminals and a total of three runways.
London’s Gatwick Airport is located 27 miles from London and is London’s second busiest airport, servicing 46 million travelers annually before Covid-19.
Stansted Airport in London services 28 million passengers annually, and Luton served 17 million passengers annually before the pandemic.
In typical travel times, London Southend serves 2 million passengers annually, while London City Airport has been known to serve up to 5 million annually.
What are the airports in Northern England?
The airports in Northern England are Manchester Airport (MAN), Newcastle Airport (NCL), Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL), and Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA).
Offering over 200 worldwide destinations, Manchester Airport is considered the third busiest international airport in the United Kingdom and served 28 million passengers annually before the pandemic.
Newcastle International Airport managed on average approximately 5 million passengers every year before 2020 and is considered the eleventh busiest airport in the United Kingdom.
Leeds Bradford Airport is not as busy but is well known for being a major hub of operations during British wartime.
During the Second World War, civil commercial operations were stopped, and the building was used to manufacture British aircraft and components for the British military.
The Liverpool John Lennon Airport is a smaller airport in the United Kingdom but still offers some international flights to the Middle East and parts of Europe.
This airport also has World War II history and was once operated by the Royal Air Force. Prior to the pandemic, it was servicing four million passengers annually.
What are the airports in the United Kingdom Midlands?
The Midlands in the United Kingdom is precisely what it sounds like – the middle region of the United Kingdom, bordered by Northern England and Southern England.
This area of England is important because it was integral to the cohesive functioning of the Industrial Revolution during the nineteenth century.
Birmingham is the second-largest city in this region, and also home to the area’s largest airport. Prior to the pandemic, Birmingham International Airport (BHX) served over 12 million passengers annually.
It serves as the home for Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomson Airways, as well as Flybe, Ryanair, and Monarch airways. East Midlands Airport (EMA) serves a smaller population but still offers international flights and is known for its lower fares.
The East Midlands Airport first served as the home base for the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom.
It is located very close to Castle Donington, a castle originally owned by Thomas Chaucer in the 1300s. This airport was also used in the Second World War and transformed into a commercial airport in 1965.
What are the airports in the west part of the United Kingdom?
The airports located in the western region of the United Kingdom include Bristol Airport (BRS) and Exeter Airport (EXT). The western region of the United Kingdom is small but has a great history.
The history here includes landmarks such as Stonehenge and the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.
Bristol Airport is a busy international hub that serves European destinations along with domestic flights in England. Prior to the pandemic, it managed almost 9 million travelers every year.
Also, prior to the pandemic, it was ranked the eighth busiest airport in the country.
Exeter Airport is a smaller airport that serves approximately 1 million travelers annually. It offers both international and domestic flights, and also space for flight lessons and charter flights.
This airport opened commercially in 1937, but soon became one of Great Britain’s many command zones for air traffic for the Royal Air Force during World War II.
What are the airports in Scotland?
The United Kingdom is composed of England, Wales, North Ireland, and Scotland. In Scotland, there are three international airports that serve the entire United Kingdom.
The three main airports in Scotland are Edinburgh Airport (EDI), Glasgow Airport (GLA), and Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ).
Edinburgh Airport’s history goes back to the First World War when the runway for the Royal Air Force’s troops was a strip of grass. The first airplanes that arrived here came in boxes of parts that needed to be put together.
Today, Edinburgh Airport services approximately 14 million travelers and is Scotland’s busiest airport.
Edinburgh Airport is the sixth largest airport in the United Kingdom with two runways and one terminal. Glasgow Airport is just as significant in Scotland, serving over 10 million travelers every year before the pandemic.
Today, Glasgow International Airport serves over 8 million travelers annually, while Scotland’s Aberdeen Airport serves 3 million travelers every year.
How many airports are in Northern Ireland?
Northern Ireland is home to three airports. They are the Belfast International Airport (BFS), the City of Derry Airport (LDY), and the George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD). All three airports in Northern Ireland are international airports.
The Belfast International Airport in Belfast serves over 6 million passengers and is considered Northern Ireland’s busiest airport.
It also has a history of war and has continued to be used by the Royal Air Force until 2008. This airport is used for both public and private flights in addition to flight training.
The City of Derry Airport is a smaller airport serving less than 100,000 travelers in 2020. The George Best Belfast City Airport may operate seven airlines, but it handles less than one-half million travelers annually.
Will you fly to the United Kingdom?
These are just a few of the many airports in the United Kingdom, a region of the world that is a center of economic trade and political action.
The United Kingdom has played a significant role in both world wars and the formation of many countries, such as the United States and Canada, and is the heartbeat of the Commonwealth of the world.
Have you ever considered traveling to the United Kingdom? The countries of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are busy hubs of life and activity.
Arriving at any of these airports will be a wonderful step in the right direction to learn more about the history of this land.
