During the October half-term of 2024, a total of 27,194 flights are scheduled to depart from UK airports, offering over 4.9 million seats to travellers.
Friday, 25 October, is expected to be the busiest day, with 3,080 departures as families take advantage of the holiday break to travel abroad.
The number of available half-term seats out of the UK has risen by 5% compared to the pre-pandemic period, which saw 4.6 million seats.
However, the overall number of flights is still 4% lower than in 2019, when 28,351 flights were scheduled, reflecting a slower recovery in post-pandemic demand. Compared to last year’s October half-term, departures have dropped by 3%, suggesting demand has levelled off.
Top international destinations for UK travellers during this period include Amsterdam, Dublin, Alicante, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Malaga. easyJet is set to be the leading airline during the holiday, followed closely by British Airways, Ryanair, and Jet2.
Among UK airports, Heathrow will see the highest number of departures, followed by Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted, and Edinburgh, as the country’s airports prepare for the seasonal surge in passengers.
Despite the challenges of the post-pandemic travel landscape, the October half-term remains a key period for travel, with a steady but modest recovery in flight numbers.