Friday 22 December is set to be the busiest-ever day in the festive season at major UK airports – with the following day seeing large crowds at rail stations as travellers seek to reach their Christmas destination before engineering works begin.
Exclusive research shows London Heathrow airport will be as busy as a peak day in summer on the last Friday before Christmas, dubbed “Flyaway Friday”. The same day, 22 December, is also expected to see maximum pressure on Aberdeen, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool airports, according to figures seen by The Independent.
Travellers may experience long queues for security due to the high proportion of airline passengers who travel infrequently and are therefore unfamiliar with procedures. Airport users will also be wearing winter clothes – and many will be carrying potential items of interest in their cabin baggage.
A spokesperson for Liverpool John Lennon airport said: “We also ask that presents carried in hand luggage are not wrapped to avoid disappointment in case we need to examine them further as part of the baggage screening process. Take your wrapping paper with you and wrap them once you’ve arrived.”
East Midlands, London Stansted and Manchester airports are expected to be busiest on Saturday 23 December. This is also the date when key rail links will see peak pressure. On Christmas Eve, two of the UK’s busiest stations – Paddington and King’s Cross in London – will be closed due to engineering work, ahead of the normal 25 December nationwide shutdown.
On the railways, the most heavily booked intercity train is believed to be the 10.03am GWR from London Paddington to Penzance on Saturday 23 December.
Engineering work by Network Rail begins as early as 23 December, with TransPennine Express warning of extended journey times between Leeds and York.
National Express coaches are most heavily booked on 23 December, while rivals Flixbus and Megabus report equally heavy demand on 22 and 23 December.
The final Friday and Saturday before Christmas are also the peak days for P&O’s ferry links from Dover to Calais and Cairnryan to Larne.
Road users can expect multiple peaks, according to Rod Dennis from RAC Breakdown. He said: “We expect something of a double wave of getaway trips in the run-up to Christmas this year, reflecting the fact that schools break up on…
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