UK airports see record drop in passenger numbers

[RVR800]

There was a huge drop in passenger numbers in 2009 the biggest drop for 65 years!

Frightening reading 7.4% decline is no small amount in an industry used to growth

Has had an effect only beaten by WWII (1944)!

BBC News - UK airports see record drop in passenger numbers (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8567493.stm)

:ooh:

[Blinkz]

Not as bad as last week, they dropped to zero for the first time :E

[pwalhx]

What amazes me is that this comes as a shock to anyone.

[STAN_37]

Slightly saddened to admit that we contributed to the 2009 downturn. We made two return journeys by train that we'd made by air in previous years. The longer one was to the south coast of France. Only cost £35 more than going by air (inc. car parking, transfers etc.) and incredibly only took 45 minutes longer door-to-door. I love flying but the overall end-to-end hassle of air travel these days (security, baggage restrictions etc) does make me weight it up against the alternatives. It seems we weren't the only ones.:sad:

STAN

[al446]

Has had an effect only beaten by WWII (1944)!

What toss, there were an almost unprecedented number of flights in 1944, all heavily subsidised, mostly cargo to nearby European destinations, albeit with a slightly unorthodox method of offloading. :=

Or have I got this slightly wrong?:hmm:

[Piltdown Man]

Flying is no longer stylish, quick or fun. The aviation prevention operatives (aka Security) are doing the terrorists work. Muppets in airport management are screwing airlines and passengers alike. Finally, the government in the form of DfT and the idiots at the CAA all add up to making it one of the most unpleasant modes of transport available to man. So when cash is short, why spend it flying? I won't and I have the cash.

So am I surprised? Not in the slightest. I'm just amazed it hasn't contracted more.

PM

[ReadyToGo]

Lets not forget that the economic downturn hasn't helped either! Increases in living costs means that for a lot of people, things like second holidays, weekend breaks etc get shelved. Can't blame them.

[ATNotts]

I've flown for leisure purposes only twice (4 flights) in the past 5 years - but I've holidayed abroad in mainland europe probably 15 times.

I go by car. Why? The hassle factor, aside of UK immigration on the return leg, Eurotunnel is a doddle. Freedom to stop when you want, eat when you want, divert where you want en route - and get decent legroom at the same time.

I wouldn't fly these days, unless I was going really far afield, or to a Med island where the time factor of ferries makes it just to difficult.

I would love to use the train, but since the UK presently thinks only the favoured in the home counties should have access to high speed rail and the continent.