From 1986’s Suitcases and Sandwiches to 2025’s Smart Gates and Sky Bars
Welcome back to The Boarding Pass Travel Blog. Air travel has evolved immensely in the last 40 years. Added security, self-check-ins, priority boarding, and even having to pay for your bags are some of those changes.
The first time I flew was from Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) to Belfast City Airport (BHD). It was 1986, and my recollection of the twin-prop aircraft was that it was bumpy, and I didn’t like flying one bit.
Leeds Bradford Airport (IATA: LBA, ICAO: EGNM) is located in Yeadon, West Yorkshire, around seven miles from Leeds and nine miles from Bradford, serving the wider Yorkshire region. Sitting at an elevation of 681 feet (208 metres), it holds the distinction of being the highest airport in England. Originally opened in 1931 as Leeds and Bradford Municipal Aerodrome, often referred to as Yeadon Aerodrome, it has grown into a vital transport hub for northern England. In 2024, the airport handled 4.24 million passengers, making it the 13th busiest in the UK, with ambitions to reach seven million by 2030. Leeds Bradford is a key base for Jet2.com and has also served as a Ryanair base, linking Yorkshire to destinations across Europe and beyond.
A year later, I flew solo from London Heathrow (LHR) to Berlin Tegel (TXL), courtesy of British Airways. Aged eleven, I wasn’t aware that we were flying through Soviet airspace, nor did I have any idea how many people in the UK were flying each year.
UK Airport Passenger Numbers
Today, flying from London Gatwick (LGW) or London Stansted (STN) — (not quite London, more Cambridge) can feel like the entire country is trying to cram into the same departure gate, shop, or bar. But what are the numbers?
Back in 1986, Britain’s airports carried around 72 million passengers in total. London Heathrow led the way with just over 30 million travellers, while London Gatwick handled a modest 15 million. Stansted and Luton? Practically quaint, moving a few hundred thousand people each. The average British holidaymaker was likely clutching a paper ticket, a sandwich wrapped in foil, a bag of Duty Free and wondering if their suitcase had made it to the right flight.
Fast-forward to 2025, and the numbers have soared faster than a BA A380. The UK’s major airports now handle over 290 million passengers a year, according to the latest Civil Aviation Authority data. Heathrow alone welcomes almost 84 million, Gatwick around 43 million, and even smaller airports like Bristol, Liverpool, and Belfast now serve millions of travellers each year.
The UK’s major airports now handle over 290 million passengers a year, according to the latest Civil Aviation Authority data.
Brits have turned flying into an art form. From Costa del Sol weekends to Canary Islands escapes, from Berlin city breaks to Dubai stopovers, we’ve gone from package-holiday pioneers to digital nomads in premium economy.
Here’s a quirky detail: transit passengers now make up less than 0.05% of all travellers, proof that most of us start or end our journeys here rather than pass through. In 1986, airports were full of connecting passengers and cigarette smoke. In 2025, it’s oat lattes, carry-ons, and queues for biometric gates.
Even regional airports are booming. Manchester Airport now handles over 30 million passengers, nearly five times its 1986 total. Edinburgh and Birmingham each serve more people today than Heathrow did during the early jet age.
It’s been quite the transformation, a story of growth, technology, and our national love affair with getting away. The aircraft, the airports, even the food have changed (mercifully), but one thing hasn’t: that quiet thrill when the engines spool up and we leave the ground.
So whether you were flying Dan-Air in the eighties or EasyJet in 2025, one thing’s for sure, Britain still loves the skies.
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✈️ Question: Where’s your next holiday taking you, sun, snow or city break?