Surprising European city revealed to be UK travellers' most popular international destination so far in 2025
European capital city surprisingly crowned most popular international destination for UK travellers in 2025.
Irish capital, Dublin, has unexpectedly been named as the most popular international destination for UK air travellers in the first six months of 2025.
According to new analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by air passenger rights experts, AirAdvisor, over 4.8 million passengers flew between the UK and the Emerald Isle’s major airport, Dublin Airport, between January and June 2025.
Other destinations that frequently welcome large quantities of UK travellers include Alicante, Malaga, Faro and Dubai.
European capital cities including Madrid, Paris and Lisbon also experience significant traffic to and from the UK.
Every three months, the CAA publishes Aviation Trends data covering key metrics that summarise commercial aviation activity at the United Kingdom's airports and further afield.
The statistics found that so far in 2025, the average delay to flights stands at 12.5 minutes, with 1.15 per cent of flights cancelled in the 24 hours before they were scheduled to depart.
The same period in 2024, saw average delay times peak at 15.5 minutes, with 1.33 per cent of flights affected by cancellations with less than 24 hours notice, suggesting a gradual improvement in punctuality as the aviation industry recovers from the Covid pandemic.
Commenting on the findings, AirAdvisor CEO Anton Radchenko explains: “Ireland is an extremely popular destination for UK travellers due to the two countries’ historic connections. It’s a busy route for holidaymakers between the nations’ major cities and also people visiting family members based either side of the Irish Sea.
“Amsterdam remains a popular city break spot for UK travellers while those looking for year-round sun often opt for destinations like Dubai and Tenerife.
“The CAA’s data suggests that we are finally seeing a reduction in disrupted flights following a very difficult post-Covid period where airlines struggled to cope with consumer demand for getaways, leading to record levels of delays and cancellations.
“Thankfully, the UK government’s UK261 legislation protects passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled and when you are affected by a disrupted journey to or from the UK, you may be entitled to compensation. If you find yourself in a situation where your flight is cancelled or delayed, we suggest using a free compensation calculator to get to work out the compensation your airline may owe you.”
Top international destinations to and from (travel in both directions) UK airports between January and June 2025. Source - CAA*
Dublin, Republic of Ireland - 4.8 million
Amsterdam, The Netherlands - 4.1 million
Alicante, Spain - 3 million
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 3 million
Malaga, Spain - 2.8 million
Tenerife, Spain - 2.7 million
Barcelona, Spain - 2.3 million
Faro, Portugal - 2 million
New York, United States of America - 1.8 million
Doha, Qatar - 1.7 million
Madrid, Spain - 1.6 million
Arrecife, Spain - 1.6 million
Lisbon, Portugal - 1.4 million
Istanbul, Turkey - 1.3 million
Paris, France - 1.2 million