UK airports are preparing for another busy Late-May Bank Holiday getaway, with more than two million seats scheduled to depart airports across the country during the long weekend.
According to the latest data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, 12,366 flights are due to depart UK airports over the last May Bank Holiday weekend of 2026, highlighting strong demand for short-haul European breaks and city escapes despite overall capacity remaining below pre-pandemic levels.
Friday the 22nd May is expected to be the busiest day of the weekend, with 3,236 flights scheduled to depart UK airports as travellers make the most of the extended break.
The most popular international destination for UK departures this Bank Holiday weekend is expected to be Dublin, followed by Palma de Mallorca, Amsterdam, Alicante and Málaga.
Notably, the same five destinations also topped the rankings during the May Bank Holiday period in 2025, underlining continued demand for established European leisure destinations among UK travellers.
Spain continues to dominate leisure demand, with the Balearic and Costa del Sol hotspots remaining especially popular for short breaks and early summer sunshine, while Dublin and Amsterdam continue to benefit from strong city-break and visiting friends and relatives traffic.
Despite the strong Bank Holiday demand, overall departures remain below pre-pandemic levels. Flight schedules are currently down 4.5% compared with the equivalent May Bank Holiday weekend in 2019, when 12,944 flights departed UK airports.
Heathrow Airport is set to handle the highest number of departures during the weekend, with 2,682 flights scheduled to take off. It is followed by Gatwick Airport, Manchester Airport and Stansted Airport.
Airlines and airports are advising passengers to allow extra time for travel during peak periods, particularly on Friday morning and throughout the return wave on Monday, as millions head overseas for the first major holiday weekend of the summer season.