Average passenger per flight

Flight data specialist OAG has come up with some fascinating average capacity figures that can be used by any of the five major UK airports to justify arguments. 

At the end of January airlines operating at Heathrow averaged 205 passengers per plane.  This figure is bound to increase as more A380s arrive.  It is the world’s most popular A380 airport.

Gatwick is the UK’s number two airport and here the average is 179.  It too is a leader, the world’s busiest single runway international airport.

Manchester is third up but because much of its business is conducted by regional aircraft such as the Q400 and ATR72 the figure is just 164.

Ryanair dominates Stansted with around 80% of the business.  Here the average number of seats available is 181 but it will increase towards the end of the decade when the Dublin-based carrier begins to take the 197-seat Boeing 737 MAX (v 189-seat Boeing 737 NG).

The Luton average is 173 due to easyJet currently operating a large fleet of 154-seat Airbus 319, a leftover from previous management.  As these are replaced from 2017 by the 186-seat Airbus A320 neo the numbers will jump.  www.oag.com

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OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

Ralph Anker, Witney

Surely Dubai DXB is the world\'s most popular A380 airport in terms of daily A380 flights?

Janet Walford, Little Chalfont

It seems that the editor has been watching too many old Star Trek episodes and getting O'Leary muddled up with Captain Kirk. They have similar ears. Before being amended, the above read "towards the end of the millennium" - a mere 984 years away. By that time I hope we will all be being teleported a la Star Trek so the editor had a premonition!