Türkiye is seen among the top destinations as some 2 million British holidaymakers are set to jet off abroad over the Easter weekend, with one airport bracing for “record-breaking” passenger numbers.
Alongside Türkiye, Dubai and the Canary Islands are among the most popular spots amid wet and windy weather forecasts for the United Kingdom. However, trips to Dublin are also in demand.
Travel trade organization Abta said airports are reporting “strong numbers,” with 175,000 due to leave from Stansted, 105,000 from Luton, 160,000 from Manchester, 79,000 from Birmingham, and 89,000 from Edinburgh between Friday and Monday.
Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said: “It’s exciting that record numbers of people will be taking off from here this Easter: 320,000 people will travel (through the airport) over the bank holiday weekend – that’s up 7% on April 2023.”
Glasgow predicts more than 90,000 passengers over the four days, while Birmingham Airport said it expects a 27.2% increase in departures compared to last year over the entire Easter period.
Bristol, which predicts 30,000 holiday trips on Easter Sunday alone, advised: “If traveling with Easter eggs, passengers are advised to keep any chocolate treats in your cabin baggage and to make sure they’re easily accessible as they may need to be opened for a quick check.”
It came as drivers have been warned over long delays on roads as more than 14 million Easter getaway trips are expected to take place.
Türkiye has been, if not the favorite destination of British holidaymakers over recent years. The number of Britons arriving in 2023 rose 12.8% million to 3.8 million, according to official figures.
A survey commissioned by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) and transport analysis company Inrix suggested that 2.6 million leisure journeys by car would be made on Good Friday.
Some 2.3 million getaway trips are planned for each of Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday, with 2 million expected to take place on each of Thursday and Easter Monday.
A further 3.3 million leisure journeys have been planned by drivers who are undecided about exactly what day they will travel, leading to around 14.5 million getaway trips between Thursday and Easter Monday.
Meanwhile, around 20,000 cars were expected to travel through the Port of Dover between Thursday and Easter Monday.
Wightlink said there was still availability for last-minute bookings on ferries to and from the Isle of Wight.
Brittany Ferries said sailings to France and Spain are “busy,” though overall volumes are in line with last year.
Elsewhere, Network Rail has urged train passengers to check their journey details before they travel because some major routes will be closed due to engineering work.
The West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Milton Keynes will be shut for four days from Good Friday.
There will also be disruption in the areas around Glasgow and Huddersfield.
Tourist board Visit England said around 11 million people in the U.K. are planning an overnight Easter trip, generating an estimated 3.2 billion pound (more than $4 billion) boost to the economy.
