Dublin tops list of international destinations for UK travellers in first half of 2025

Dublin was the most visited international destination for travellers leaving the UK in the first six months of 2025, with 4.8 million passenger movements recorded at Dublin Airport, according to Civil Aviation Authority data analysed by travel analytics firm AirAdvisor.

Amsterdam was the second most popular destination, attracting about 4.1 million UK travellers, followed by Alicante and Dubai at roughly 3 million each. Malaga received 2.8 million visitors from the UK, Tenerife 2.7 million and Barcelona 2.3 million. Faro in Portugal drew about 2 million passengers, New York 1.8 million and Doha 1.7 million. The analysis also listed Madrid and Arrecife on 1.6 million each, Lisbon on 1.4 million, Istanbul 1.3 million and Paris 1.2 million for the January–June period.

Anton Radchenko, chief executive officer of AirAdvisor, said historic ties between the UK and Ireland, frequent city-to-city services and family travel explains the heavy flows to Dublin. He told reporters that Amsterdam ‘‘remains a popular city break spot for UK travellers’’ while destinations such as Dubai and Tenerife continued to attract passengers seeking year‑round sun.

AirAdvisor’s examination of the CAA figures also looked at disruption metrics. For the first half of 2025 the firm calculated an average flight delay of 12.5 minutes for services to and from the UK, and found that 1.15% of flights were cancelled less than 24 hours before scheduled departure. That marks a slight improvement on the equivalent period in 2024, when average delays were 15.5 minutes and 1.33% of scheduled flights were cancelled with under 24 hours’ notice.

Radchenko said the CAA 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.’’ He also noted the protection afforded by the UK’s EU‑derived UK261 regulations, saying passengers affected by delays and cancellations may be entitled to compensation.

In previous years, Palma de Mallorca and Amsterdam have topped comparable lists of international destinations for UK travellers. The AirAdvisor analysis, published in mid‑September 2025, covers reported passenger numbers at airports for the six‑month period from January through June 2025 and is based on CAA traffic statistics. The data underscores continued strong demand for short‑haul European routes alongside long‑haul city and sun destinations among UK holidaymakers.