Cirium have released data showing this summer’s most popular destinations and how they are recovering compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Cirium Data – Summer travel analysis
August departures:
- During August 2023, 92,549 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports – equating to over 16.5 million seats
- This August is scheduled to see the highest number of UK departures since October 2019, as the post-pandemic recovery continues
- Departures from the UK this month are projected to hit 89% of August 2019 levels with pre-pandemic departures sitting at 104,007
- Scheduled UK departures are up 11% compared to August 2022 and up 101% compared to August 2021, as travellers resume business and leisure trips
- From the UK, Dublin remains the most popular international destination by scheduled flights, followed by Amsterdam, Palma, Malaga and Faro.
European hotspots:
- Looking at the major hotspots for summer holidays, Cirium data reveals how each market has recovered in popularity since the pandemic:
| Flights from the UK to… | August 2023 departures | August 2019 departures | % recovery |
| Turkey | 3,630 | 2,488 | 46% |
| Greece | 5,052 | 3,774 | 34% |
| Morocco | 420 | 372 | 13% |
| Portugal | 3,218 | 3,151 | 2% |
| USA | 4,681 | 4,610 | 2% |
| Croatia | 1,009 | 1,000 | 1% |
| Cyprus | 1,067 | 1,078 | -1% |
| Spain | 13,951 | 15,148 | -8% |
| Italy | 4,794 | 5,396 | -11% |
| Switzerland | 1,711 | 2,039 | -16% |
| France | 4,314 | 5,178 | -17% |
| Netherlands | 3,381 | 4,114 | -18% |
| Malta | 436 | 546 | -20% |
| Germany | 3,803 | 5,063 | -25% |
