In terms of number of domestic passengers, Heathrow now ranks behind Edinburgh. The number of travellers on the UK flights to and from Heathrow has dropped by 28 percent over the past 12 years.
An average of 13,000 domestic passengers per day was handled last year by the airport as compared to 18,000 in 2005.
The airport’s overall passenger number increased by 26 per cent over the same period and Edinburgh, Scotland’s busiest airport saw a drop in domestic passengers but its overseas numbers increased.Its decline was only 14 per cent lifting it to the top position from Heathrow.
Air Passenger Duty doubled in 2007 and this led to an overall reduction in domestic passengers. Currently the tax comes to £26 for a round-trip within the UK.
Charges are applicable to passengers departing from the UK airport signifying that the domestic passenger is charged for both sectors of a return journey.
The congestion in Heathrow also played a part and the domestic capacity got shrunken for more favorable international routes.
Aberdeen, Belfast City, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle are the eight domestic airports which Heathrow serves.
The Durham Tees Valley route was dropped since 2005.
Recently the British Airways halved the number of flights between Leeds Bradford and Heathrow and currently UK airports have far more links with Amsterdam, Dublin and Paris than with Heathrow.
