Business
Busiest Christmas Eve for air travel, says aviation body
Faarea Masud & Simon BrowningBBC News
Getty ImagesThe number of passengers passing through UK airports will be the most ever seen on any Christmas Eve since records began in 1972, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.
It projects over 335,000 people will be flying in the UK on Wednesday, which is up 5% from Christmas Eve in 2024, though minimal disruption is expected.
Britain’s roads are also expected to see one of the busiest Christmas Eves since records began said the RAC, though another motoring lobby says traffic peaks for the season have passed.
The RAC said the worst time to travel on Wednesday is from 1pm to 7pm as millions hit the road to get home before Christmas Day on Thursday, with delays expected on major routes.
Manchester airport said on Christmas Eve it expects around 75,000 passengers passing through, with 208 flights leaving the UK, but that number will halve on Christmas Day. Its most popular destinations on Christmas Eve are Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin.
Heathrow meanwhile says it is expecting its busiest December period ever, including 152,000 passengers using it on Christmas Day. EasyJet said 558 flights will depart on Christmas Day, part of “its busiest festive season ever”.
Stansted Airport said Christmas Day for it, meanwhile, will be relatively quiet.
The busiest single day of the festive period for air travel was Friday 19 December.
Getty ImagesThe RAC meanwhile said particular tight spots on the roads will be the clockwise northern and western sections of the M25 from mid-morning, and the M5 north from Gloucestershire towards the West Midlands later in the afternoon.
While millions will travel by rail, earlier last-train times mean many may take to the road, making them even more congested.
Several rail routes will be restricted or closed over the Christmas period for maintenance.
National Rail trains do not run on Christmas Day and only a small number will run on Boxing Day.
National Express coaches says it is running on Christmas day to 96 destinations.
The RAC’s mobile servicing and repair’s team leader Nick Mullender said 2025 was “looking to be the busiest getaway period since our records began” in 2013.
He said this year’s Christmas Eve would be the busiest, with workers saving on annual leave days and heading off on getaways at the last minute.
Meanwhile the AA, which provides traffic updates across the UK, said 19 December was the busiest part of the season.
For Christmas Eve, it warned the M27 will close in both directions between Junction 9 (Whiteley/Park Gate) and Junction 11 (Fareham East/Gosport) from 8pm until 4am on 4 January for major works at Junction 10.
This closure affects road journeys between Southampton and Portsmouth.
Drivers are advised to check tyres, expect delays and ensure oil and coolant levels are correct. It expected a rise in breakdowns as the weather becomes colder and 4.2 million journeys will be taken on roads.
You can see how weather will affect your Christmas travel plans on the road.
You can see here how other transport, such as ferries, are affected.
Scotland’s First Minister is “very concerned” by reports that oil giant BP is considering leaving the North Sea.
Bloomberg reported the firm had begun an internal review of its North Sea operations, though no final decision had been made.
Speaking to the Press Association on Saturday during a campaign stop in Glasgow, John Swinney put the blame squarely on the UK Government and its windfall tax on oil and gas.
“I’ve seen the reports and I’d obviously be very concerned about that,” the First Minister said.
“What will be driving this is the hostile taxation approach of the United Kingdom Government through the energy profits levy, and I’ve told the Prime Minister to his face that the energy profits levy is causing significant economic damage to Scotland and the North Sea oil and gas sector.
“It’s accelerating the decline of the sector and I made it clear to the Prime Minister he should remove that energy profits levy, and the speculation about BP I think should prompt early action from the UK Government.”
But Sir Keir Starmer, the First Minister claimed, was distracted by pressure on his position as a result of the scandal surrounding the hiring and firing of former US ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson.
“But, as with so many questions of the challenges that we face, the Prime Minister is distracted by his own failures and can’t take the proper actions to protect jobs and employment within Scotland, and that’s an example of the weakness and the failure of a Labour Government,” Mr Swinney said.
The reports come after UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband described BP’s profits – which tripled in the first quarter of this year – in a now deleted post on social media as “morally and economically wrong”.
The UK Government has been contacted for comment.
The earlier plan, which would have seen the US government take effective ownership of as much as 90% of the airline, faced stiff opposition from Wall Street, Capitol Hill and even a member of Trump’s own cabinet. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Reuters a rescue would amount to tossing “good money after bad”.
Spirit Airlines check-in Kiosks sit idle at Oakland International Airport on August 13, 2025 in Oakland, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Spirit Airlines could shut down as early as 3 a.m. ET Saturday, according to people familiar with the matter. The carrier has failed to secure a financial lifeline to continue operating, though it hasn’t commented on the potential shutdown or its plans.
About 290 Spirit flights are scheduled for Saturday, according to aviation site Flightradar24. Another 381 are scheduled for Sunday.
Travelers with Spirit tickets could be understandably rattled. While there have been some U.S. airlines to shut down in recent years, the budget carrier is larger than most recent airline failures and links major cities like New York, Miami, Detroit and Los Angles — and many others in between — with its Airbus jets.
Here’s what travelers need to know:
You have a Spirit ticket. What should you do?
Immediately? Nothing.
Travelers who are booked on a Spirit flight, like this CNBC reporter is for later this month, are likely to receive a refund if they purchased tickets with a credit card.
If the ticket was bought with a debit card or with loyalty points, however, the chances of recovering funds are slim to none, said Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group, a travel consulting firm.
“If you’re holding a reservation for a flight on Spirit don’t proactively cancel it. Wait for the airline to announce it is shutting down,” he said.
Would Spirit be able to help you at the airport?
Don’t count on it.
Spirit has declined to comment on a potential shutdown. If it confirms an end to operations, the carrier will most likely have information on its website about travelers’ next steps.
Harteveldt said travelers shouldn’t go to the airport expecting to find Spirit staff in the event the airline ceases operations. Call centers are likely to be overwhelmed if they are still staffed.
That could leave passengers with fewer answers than they’d like, but other airlines are likely to help assist affected customers.
Airlines that offer last-minute fares, likely with some discounts, will be available to travelers at airport ticket counters.
How can another airline help?
United Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Frontier Airlines and American Airlines are among the carriers that have said they are ready to assist Spirit customers and crews if the carrier shuts down.
That could mean scheduling additional flights to carry the stranded passengers, similar to what they do during a hurricane or other natural disaster.
Why could Spirit shut down?
Spirit, known for bright yellow planes, low fares and fees for everything else, had been successful for years, but this week it’s been on the brink of liquidation after failing to reach a deal with bondholders for a $500 million government bailout from the Trump administration.
Last year Spirit filed for its second bankruptcy in less than a year, though it’s had a host of problems even before then.
A plan to be acquired by JetBlue was blocked. Rising costs upended its business model. An engine defect grounded dozens of its planes. And, more broadly, upscale travel became more popular with consumers, driving airline profits.
At the same time, big, legacy airlines were selling their own basic economy fares that were similar to what Spirit was offering, but with bigger networks.
What does this mean for travel going forward?
Airlines have been adding flights since Spirit’s bankruptcy filing last year on some of its routes and at major airports. They’re likely to keep doing so.
Experts have said they expect fares to rise, at least in some markets, if the discounter goes away, even though the carrier has shrunk substantially.
Oil tanker hijacked off Yemen, diverted towards Somalia: Yemen coast guard
AI detects pancreatic cancer 3 years before diagnosis: Study reveals breakthrough results
Andy Serkis on making the animated version of "Animal Farm"
-
Tech5 days agoA Brain Implant for Depression Is About to Be Tested in Humans
-
Tech1 week agoThey Wanted to Join Raya. They’ve Been on the Waiting List for Years
-
Tech1 week agoWhy Do I Like Dyson’s PencilVac So Much?
-
Tech5 days agoAlmost 90% of women leave tech industry within 10 years | Computer Weekly
-
Fashion1 week agoNorth India cotton yarn steady despite continued push by spinners
-
Sports5 days agoToulouse fall to first home defeat for a year | The Express Tribune
-
Entertainment1 week agoAnne Hathaway makes shocking confession about Taylor Swift’s music
-
Entertainment5 days agoNorway joins Type 26 Frigate Programme to boost NATO naval power