The UK airline industry is navigating a period of significant change, marked by evolving consumer behaviours/economic pressures. It's a complex landscape where passenger priorities are shifting, creating both fresh opportunities…
UK
Travel
simple
UK Airlines Market Report 2025
"Consumers want sustainable choices, but inflation drives budget travel while premium services offer an opportunity. Airlines must innovate to balance these demands."
The UK airline industry is navigating a period of significant change, marked by evolving consumer behaviours and economic pressures. It’s a complex landscape where passenger priorities are shifting, creating both fresh opportunities and considerable challenges for carriers, forcing them to reconsider their service models and strategic investments.
Over three-quarters of UK travellers are willing to support emission reduction efforts – a major shift towards sustainability that is reshaping expectations. Yet, this demand for greener travel is contrasted by the persistent threat of inflation, which is squeezing household budgets and leading to more cautious spending on flights, particularly in the economy class sector.
The most significant opportunity lies in capitalising on the rising demand for premium services. A notable segment of travellers is prepared to pay more for enhanced experiences like upgraded in-flight dining, better Wi-Fi, and lounge access. Expanding these premium offerings can provide a valuable new revenue stream for airlines.
The industry faces a dual challenge: meeting the demand for sustainable and premium travel while remaining accessible to budget-conscious consumers. Success will depend on an airline’s ability to innovate, particularly through technology-driven customer service, and to balance these competing demands effectively.
Key Issues Covered in the Report
An analysis of the UK airline market’s projected performance over the next five years, distinguishing between domestic and international air travel segments.
Key factors influencing airline selection, such as competitive pricing, good customer service, diverse flight schedules, convenient airport access, and the availability of direct routes.
Passenger interest in amenities like lounge access, premium in-flight catering, onboard Wi-Fi, and carbon offsetting options, alongside their willingness to pay for these enhancements.
Major obstacles to air travel, including prohibitive flight costs, the absence of a travel need, and the perceived inconvenience of the airport experience (eg, transit, security).
Report Attributes
Details
Published Date
November 2025
Report Author
Utku Tansel, Senior Analyst
Market Data Range
2019-2030
Consumer Data
2,000 internet users aged 16+, August 2025
Major UK-based Airlines Covered in the Report
easyJet UK Ltd, British Airways PLC, Jet2.com Ltd, TUI Airways Ltd, Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd, Wizz Air UK Ltd, Ryanair UK Ltd
Consumer Data Coverage
Flights taken, Purchase channels to book flights, Future intentions to take flights, Decisive factors when choosing an airline, Flying behaviours and attitudes, Barriers to flying
Collapse All
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
Outlook for Airlines
Opportunities
The comfort premium: airlines’ golden opportunity
Human touch still wins
Redefining convenience: how airlines can elevate the travel experience
THE MARKET
Snapshot – market size and forecast
Inflation surge strains household budgets
Graph 1: CPI inflation rate, 2021-25
Consumer confidence outlook
Graph 2: consumers’ financial confidence over the next year or so, 2025
Air Passenger Duty rates rise
UK launches sustainable aviation fuel mandate to slash carbon emissions
UK air travel: record numbers ahead, but prepare for higher costs
International passenger numbers are forecast to reach record heights
Domestic air travel is expected to register modest growth
UK airlines soar in 2024: BA Euroflyer and Ryanair lead the way
easyJet’s profit surge & British Airways’ premium makeover
Flying High: Jet2 and Ryanair’s 2025 Milestones
THE CONSUMER
Flights taken
More UK adults take to the skies
Graph 3: any flights taken in the last 12 months, 2023, 2024 and 2025
Holidays and family/friends visits drive post-pandemic recovery
Graph 4: flights taken in the last 12 months, by purpose, 2023, 2024 and 2025
Flying smart: travellers blend budget and luxury for the perfect trip
Graph 5: types of airline and classes of travel flown in the last 12 months, 2025
Purchase channel and flight destinations
The majority choose to book flights directly through the airline
Travellers increasingly turn to smartphone for holiday bookings
Graph 6: expected booking channel for main holiday, 2024-25
More travellers are shopping around
Graph 7: shopping around for the flights booked in the last 12 months – more, the same amount or less compared to flights booked more than 12 months ago, 2025
Future intentions to take flights
UK air travel set to soar, fuelled by holiday flights
Graph 8: flights taken in the past 12 months vs intention to take flights in the next 12 months, by purpose, 2025
European getaways dominate travel plans
Graph 9: destinations visited by plane in the past 12 months vs intention to visit in the next 12 months, 2025
Decisive factors when choosing an airline
Price drives airline choice
Low prices rule when choosing an airline
Graph 10: factors that most influence choice of airline, 2025
Price is key
Airline choice is also driven by convenience
Why customer service is the ticket to success for airlines
Flying behaviours and attitudes
Lounge access and gourmet onboard dining are key considerations for consumers
Lounge access, premium onboard catering and Wi-Fi are high on the agenda
Graph 11: flying behaviours and attitudes — interest and willingness to pay, 2025
The airport lounge paradox: premium access vs. mass appeal
Graph 12: interest and willingness to pay for access to an airport lounge, 2024-25
Reimagining airport lounges: elevating comfort, tech and personalisation
Arrival Oasis: the ultimate refresh lounge
More flyers are willing to splurge on in-flight dining
Graph 13: interest and willingness to pay for premium onboard food and drink, 2024-25
In-flight Wi-Fi: a must-have, not a luxury for young travellers
Graph 14: interest and willingness to pay for onboard Wi-Fi, 2025
Flying green: how consumer demand is shaping the future of sustainable aviation
Graph 15: interest and willingness to pay for offsetting emissions, 2024-25
Barriers to flying
Why travellers are skipping flights: cost and convenience lead the way
Beyond the boarding pass: strategies for airlines
Elevating air travel
INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
Wizz Air introduced an unlimited annual subscription
AI innovation to improve the customer experience
New airline alliances and Google’s AI leap
Efforts to enhance the flying experience
Airlines roll out expansion plans
Jet2.com reveals new routes and free flights for infants
British Airways launches new rewards system
Virgin on ice: a festive, high-flying holiday show
British Airways’ new marketing strategy takes flight
BA a festive campaign during the 2024 holiday season
The strategic power of storytelling in modern marketing
APPENDIX
Market definition
The market
Forecast methodology
Forecast methodology – fan chart
Market forecast and prediction intervals for the volume of international passenger numbers uplifted at UK airports
Market forecast and prediction intervals for the volume of domestic passenger numbers uplifted at UK airports
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology – EMEA
Other data source methodologies
Mintel Spark
Snoop SpendMapper methodology
Abbreviations
Avoid travel chaos: airlines must boost EES and ETIAS awareness
Market Intelligence Made Easier With Mintel
The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:
Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.
What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
The Four Pillars of Our Research
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.
Bringing It All Together
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
For a closer look at a Mintel Market Intelligence Report, take a look at the sample PDF report below:
Please Note: All of the figures, graphs, and tables in this sample report have been redacted.
$ 2,995(Excl.Tax)
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or invoice (net 30 payment terms)
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
Interactive databook included
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook avaliable on our platform
55% of consumers used hotels in the last 12 months, up 5 percentage points year-on-year and marking a rebound from slower post-pandemic demand. However, value consciousness dominates consumer...
Following a challenging 2024, marked by an uneven recovery from the cost of living crisis, the travel sector is experiencing a resurgence. A recovery in summer travel was...
The UK rail holiday market is on the brink of transformation, driven by a growing preference for sustainable/mindful travel. Eurostar's passenger numbers have already surpassed pre-pandemic levels. 11%...
Country cottages, wellness breaks and ‘slow travel' touring holidays are seeing rising demand as consumers seek restorative staycations in a time of economic gloom, rapid technological change and...
Over half of consumers with a household income of £75K+ report improved financial wellbeing compared to last year, showing resilience despite rising inflation and economic uncertainty. While their...
Appetite for foreign travel is increasing, with 65% of UK adults expecting to travel abroad within the next 12 months compared to 44% who did so during the...
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.
They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.
So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.
Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.
By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.
For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.
Virginia Harvey, Secondary Research Manager, Epsilon
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.
As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.
We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.
Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.