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On Friday, December 22nd, it is predicted to be the busiest day of the holiday season at major airports in the UK. The next day, there will be large numbers of people at railway stations as they try to get to their Christmas destination before construction projects start.
New data reveals that on the last Friday before Christmas, also known as “Flyaway Friday”, London Heathrow airport will experience high levels of activity comparable to a typical summer peak day. This trend is expected to be mirrored at other airports, such as Aberdeen, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Liverpool, on the same date of 22 December. These findings were obtained by The Independent.
Passengers who do not frequently travel by air and are unfamiliar with security procedures may encounter long lines. Additionally, airport visitors will likely be dressed in winter attire and may have items of potential interest in their carry-on luggage.
A representative from Liverpool John Lennon airport stated: “We kindly request that any gifts brought in hand luggage are not wrapped, as this may lead to disappointment if we need to inspect them further during the baggage screening process. Please bring your wrapping paper with you and wrap the gifts upon arrival.”
The airports that are expected to have the most traffic on Saturday, December 23 are East Midlands, London Stansted, and Manchester. This date will also see high demand for key rail connections. On Christmas Eve, two of the busiest stations in the UK – Paddington and King’s Cross in London – will be closed for maintenance work, prior to the nationwide shutdown on December 25.
The 10:03 AM GWR train from London Paddington to Penzance on Saturday, December 23 is thought to be the most crowded intercity train on the railways.
The engineering work by Network Rail will start on December 23, and TransPennine Express has cautioned about longer travel duration between Leeds and York.
The coaches operated by National Express experience the highest number of reservations on December 23rd, while Flixbus and Megabus have reported similar levels of demand on December 22nd and 23rd.
The last Friday and Saturday of December are the busiest days for P&O’s ferry routes between Dover and Calais, as well as Cairnryan and Larne.
According to Rod Dennis of RAC Breakdown, there will be multiple peaks for road users. He predicts a “double wave” of holiday travel leading up to Christmas, as schools will have staggered breaks.
“However, it is the travels done closer to the actual day that may contribute to additional traffic congestion. It is likely that drivers will try to fit in multiple trips during the weekend of December 23 and 24, so it is advisable to avoid being on the roads during these two dates. If avoiding is not possible, it is recommended to allot extra time for the journey and anticipate potential delays.”
On December 25, 2023, there will be an increase in the number of flights and intercity coaches traveling within the UK and internationally, making it a busier day for travel compared to other Christmas Days in the past.
These are the important statistics and recommendations for travelers during the holiday season.
On Friday 22 December, Heathrow will accommodate approximately 250,000 passengers. Christmas Day will see close to 800 flights departing from the UK’s most bustling airport, with the most in-demand destinations being New York JFK and Dubai.
Birmingham airport has Dubai listed as one of its top five destinations, alongside Dublin, Tenerife, Geneva, and Amsterdam.
Bristol, Dublin, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Geneva, and Tenerife are the top five destinations from Bristol. The busiest day at Bristol’s main airport for the West of England will be Friday, December 22nd. The airport is advising passengers to arrive at check-in at least two hours before their scheduled departure time.
During the Christmas season, Glasgow airport is expected to accommodate over 10,000 departing passengers on three separate days: December 22nd, 28th, and 29th.
On Christmas Day, Edinburgh airport is expected to accommodate over 7,000 individuals, which is one-sixth of its usual volume. Following December 22nd, the peak day at the airport in the Scottish capital will be December 29th.
On December 22nd, the Liverpool John Lennon airport is expected to accommodate over 15,000 travelers, making it the busiest day. On Christmas Day, 30% of the usual daily passenger volume is projected to pass through, while January 1st is expected to have a similar number of passengers as a typical Monday.
The busiest day at Newcastle airport is on Friday, December 29, with the most arrivals and departures.
According to Avanti West Coast, the train line that links London Euston to the West Midlands, northwest England, North Wales, and southern Scotland, there are currently only a few reservations for trips outside of the morning of December 27. However, they anticipate high volumes on December 22 and 23.
On LNER, the main operator on the East Coast main line from London King’s Cross to Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland, 23 December and 27 December are currently proving the most popular days to travel, with 30 December and 2 January also popular.
GWR states that Saturday, December 23rd is slightly more crowded than Friday, December 22nd on routes between London and the West of England and South Wales. Both of these days are busier than the days before them. The most popular routes include London Paddington to Exeter, Bath, Bristol Parkway, Cardiff, and Plymouth, as well as Bath to Paddington.
According to a spokesperson, trains are more crowded during the morning hours of 9am to 10am compared to later in the morning and the afternoon/evening.
The Independent has released complete information about the Christmas engineering projects.
There are no plans for additional railway strikes before Christmas.
During the weekend of Friday, December 15th to Sunday, December 17th, there will be a high volume of university students traveling home on National Express and Megabus. Saturday, December 23rd is expected to be the busiest day before Christmas, followed by Boxing Day and Wednesday, December 27th when there will be limited train services. According to National Express, passenger bookings for this holiday season are 13% higher than last year.
According to Brittany Ferries, December 22nd is the most hectic day during the Christmas season, but there are still some spots open. A representative stated, “Those who are open to departing a bit later can still find good availability on Christmas Eve at 8am from Portsmouth to Caen. This trip, including a car and two passengers, costs £190.”
P&O Ferries has announced that the Hull-Rotterdam route will experience high levels of traffic on December 14-16 and 27-29, with a significant number of bookings coming in on December 15-17, 21/22, and 27/28.
According to The Independent, there are no ferries operating to or from UK ports on Christmas Day.
Transport for London
The London Underground will operate daily, with the exception of Christmas Day.
There will be no Elizabeth Line trains running from Ealing Broadway to Paddington on Sunday, December 24th and Wednesday, December 27th, 2023. This is due to construction work for HS2.
The Congestion Charge in central London will not be in effect from Monday, December 25th to Monday, January 1st.
Eurostar will not operate any trains to or from London St Pancras International on Christmas Day. However, there is anticipated to be a high demand for travel to and from Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam when services resume on Boxing Day. The company responsible for the Channel Tunnel railway will run 13 trains in both directions to and from Paris on December 26th.
The RAC, a group for drivers, estimates that 21 million people will travel during the Christmas season. The busiest day is expected to be Friday, December 22, as holiday travelers share the roads with commuters and truckers.
On Saturday, December 23rd, heavy traffic is expected on the M25 going clockwise from the M23 near Gatwick to the M40 near Birmingham, resulting in potential wait times of up to one hour.
Due to December 25th falling on a Monday, numerous drivers who are employed for the entire week will opt to travel on either Saturday or Sunday. According to Alice Simpson, spokesperson for RAC Breakdown, “With Christmas falling on a Monday this year, drivers do not need to take time off work for their holiday trips as they can travel over the preceding weekend.”
Hence, based on our findings, it is advised to begin your journey as early as possible on Saturday and Sunday as these are expected to be the most congested days for driving.
A survey carried out by the motoring club shows that 60% of holiday travels will be concentrated in the three days leading up to Christmas.
During the days of December 22, 23, and 24, expect heavy traffic between 12pm and 2pm, also known as the “lunch crunch” for drivers.
More individuals are expected to use road transportation due to extensive railway closures for maintenance. On December 24th, two major London train stations, Paddington and King’s Cross, will not be in operation.
According to Inrix, a company that specializes in transportation analytics, the M25 clockwise west of Greater London will experience daily delays of approximately 40 minutes on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Delays are expected on the M1 northbound between Woburn and Daventry, as well as on the M6 southbound from Wigan to Stafford, outside of the capital.
The roads leading to major airports are anticipated to have heavy traffic on December 22 and 23.
The source is The Independent.
