Airports braced for mass exodus

The bank holiday weekend will see 1.8 million Britons focused on getting to Luton Airport and other departure points across the country on time to catch their flight, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

136,000 holidaymakers are set to use Stansted Airport to get away this weekend, as nearly two million jet off across the country

Some 65,000 people will be flying from London Luton, while a further 136,000 will be leaving from London Stansted Airport. Passengers getting airport transfers from Heathrow and Gatwick, which will handle 420,000 and 250,000 people respectively, will notice they are a comparatively quieter.

Airports in other areas of the country are also braced for the traditional August bank holiday getaway, with 145,000 passengers set to leave the country through Manchester, while Birmingham (65,000), Leeds Bradford (25,000), Newcastle (36,000) and Southampton (12,000) will also be busy.

A total of 116,000 passengers will be using airports in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, while some 60,000 will use the Eurostar for trips to the continent. Half a million people will use Eurotunnel or ferry ports.

The busiest day of the weekend is expected to be Friday, as people look to begin their weekend as soon as possible.

The list of most popular destinations is topped by Mediterranean resorts in mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands, Egypt, Turkey, Cyprus and the Greek islands.

Orlando and New York in the US are also among the top destinations, while European cities including Paris, Venice, Amsterdam and Dublin are favoured by others.

Copyright Press Association 2010