How Was Summer at Scotland’s Airports?

Every quarter the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) releases a detailed report breaking down key metrics about airports across the United Kingdom.

The results for the third quarter of 2024 (July-September) have been made public, and provide a good base to compare the four busiest airports in Scotland to see which are performing well, and which have room for improvement.

On Time Performance

Possibly one of the most important metrics for an airport from a passenger perspective is the number of flights that depart on time (in the UK, on time is within 15 minutes of the scheduled departure time).

Twenty Five airports are included, of which three are in Scotland;

• Aberdeen is the most punctual airport in Scotland, with 74% of flights departing on time, the second highest in the UK and 17% above the UK average.
  • This represents a 6% improvement on last year and saw the airport climb six places.
• Glasgow is 9th on the list, with 67% of flights departing on time, 10% above the UK average, but it has the lowest on time performance of the three airports owned by AGS, potentially due to it also being the biggest and busiest.
  • This represents a 1% decrease on last year, but the airport remains in the same position as last year.
• Edinburgh is 18th on the list, with 60% of flights departing on time, 3% above the UK average, of the three VINCI airports in the UK it is below Belfast International by 10% (12 places), but above London Gatwick by 18% (7 places)
  • This represents a 9% increase on last year and saw the airport climb 6 places.

It is also important to note, all three airports will be impacted by factors out with their control such as ATC delays, weather delays and staff shortages.

Terminal Passenger Numbers

Terminal passenger numbers are published in a much more detailed form by the CAA every month, this breakdown just provides a basic overview with a comparison on the same period last year.

Edinburgh was the 6th busiest airport in the UK in Q3, with 4,772,687 passengers, representing an increase of 9% on the same period last year. The rate of growth has also slowed from 21% in Q3 last year.

Glasgow was the 9th busiest airport in the UK with 2,441,477 passengers, an increase of 11% when compared to 2023. The growth rate is significantly above this time last year, up from just 3%.

Aberdeen was 16th with 660,621 passengers, an increase of 4% on the same period last year. The rate of growth has also slowed from 13% in Q3 last year.

Inverness was 21st with 249,307 passengers representing growth of 3% with Prestwick coming 24th with 188,927 passengers, flat when compared with last year.

This data does show a slightly unexpected trend from my point of view, this is the first time in at least a year where the quarterly growth in Glasgow has been higher than Edinburgh, although possibly just a blip in the trend that is being witnessed, it does highlight that demand is still present in both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Although growth was higher in Glasgow this quarter, I should also point out that passenger numbers are still below 2019 levels, whereas Edinburgh Airport is recording record passenger numbers.

Airlines Serving Scotland

Having a wide range of airlines serving an airport should give customers the best choice of flights and destinations. The table below is of the top 25 airlines from the UK, and if they served each airport during the report period.

	ABZ	EDI	GLA	PIK	INV
easyJet	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌	✔️
Ryanair	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌
British Airways	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌	✔️
Jet2	❌	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
TUI	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌	✔️
WIZZ Air	✔️	❌	✔️	❌	❌
Virgin Atlantic	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Emirates	❌	❌	✔️	❌	❌
Aer Lingus	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
KLM	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌	✔️
American Airlines	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Vueling	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Lufthansa	❌	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
Qatar Airways	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
United Airlines	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Loganair	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌	✔️
Turkish Airlines	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Sun Express	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Air Canada	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Delta Air Lines	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
SAS	✔️	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Swiss Airlines	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Eurowings	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Pegasus Airlines	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Air France	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌

Some points to make about the above data, looking to Q3 of 2025 American Airlines and Emirates will serve Edinburgh Airport. SunExpress will also start serving Glasgow Airport.

Airports Serving Scotland

Having a wide range of destinations serving an airport is also key in the success of an airport at winning passengers compared to its competitors. The table below is of the top 25 destinations from the UK, and if they served each airport during the report period.

	ABZ	EDI	GLA	PIK	INV
Palma	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
Dublin	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
Amsterdam	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌	✔️
Alicante	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌
Malaga	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌
Dubai	❌	❌	✔️	❌	❌
Faro	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌
Barcelona	❌	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌
Antalya	❌	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
Tenerife	❌	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌
Dalaman	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
New York JFK	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Paris CDG	❌	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
Ibiza	❌	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
Doha	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Lisbon	❌	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
Arrecife (Lanzarote)	❌	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌
Istanbul	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Corfu	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
Frankfurt	❌	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
Madrid	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Rhodes	❌	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
Copenhagen	✔️	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Nice	❌	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Larnaca	❌	✔️	✔️	❌	❌

In the same period next year Edinburgh Airport will gain service to Dubai and Glasgow will lose its service to Lisbon based on current schedules.

To view the CAA report for yourself, click here.

Some Other Posts That Might Be Of Interest

2017 vs 2023. How Has Market Share in Scotland’s Airports Changed?

OPINION: GLA Is Down, But Certainly Not Out

Glasgow Airports Plummeting Success