Holiday fear reaches its peak today as airports prepare for the busiest travel weekend of summer 2019. ABTA reports a whopping two million passengers will take flights between today and Sunday, just a day after many schools shut their doors for a lengthy break. The busiest of the three days is expected to be today as Britons head away before the weekend rush. Express.co.uk reported how the pound has “gained ground” on the euro in hugely positive news for holidaymakers headed to the Eurozone.
Spain has been hailed the most popular holiday destination for summer 2019 for Brits.
Yet the Canaries, Amalfi coast and the Greek islands are also hotspots.
Airports in the South East are expecting a very busy weekend with hundreds of thousands passengers expected to depart from Heathrow and Gatwick, 150,000 from Stansted, 95,000 from Luton and over 12,000 from Southend.
Around 160,000 are due to depart from Manchester airport and although the Scottish schools are well into their summer holidays, hundreds of thousands will still be leaving from Scottish airports with over 77,000 from Edinburgh alone.
Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive, said: “Thousands of families will be jetting off this weekend as the majority of schools in the UK start their summer break.
“Good temperatures and sunshine are guaranteed at all our favourite hotspots around the Mediterranean and ABTA advice is to slap on the sun cream and copy the locals by heading for a long, leisurely lunch when the sun is at its strongest.
“The roads in the UK will be very busy and families should leave extra time to get to their departure ports and if using public transport, check in advance for any engineering work.”
Meanwhile, Thomas Cook confirmed to Express.co.uk this weekend was the busiest in the year for the airline.
They told how 54,000 people will take to the skies on 244 UK outbound flights to 47 destinations.
With 63,000 minutes of flying time, 800,000 km will be flown by 533 Thomas Cook Airlines pilots – which they cited as the equivalent of flying around the earth twenty times.
Meanwhile, TUI revealed the most popular item on its on-board menu was a simple cuppa.
Further advice for the busiest travel weekend has centred on a crackdown on boozy Brits causing havoc on planes.
The One Too Many campaign has reminded passengers to ensure make sure they travel responsibly and avoid penalties for disruptive behaviour.
They warn passengers should “face consequences” if they have one too many before checking in.
Speaking on behalf of airlines, Rafael Schvartzman, Regional Vice President for Europe at IATA added: “As we head into the high point the British summer holiday it is important for travellers to be mindful of their fellow passengers, and the people working hard across the entire aviation network to make their holidays happen.
“There is no place for disruptive behaviour at airports or aboard an aircraft, and anyone who disrupts the travel experience of others should expect to face consequences for their actions.”
Speaking on behalf of airport retailers, Francois Bourienne, Chair of the UK Travel Retail Forum said: “With record numbers travelling through UK airspace this summer, we urge passengers to remember to fly responsibly and begin the party at their destination rather than during their journey as disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated.
“Anyone found to be disruptive will face serious consequences. Do not be the one to ruin the experience of others, including fellow passengers and staff, in the airport or onboard the flight.”