There is something reassuring about a survey which doesn’t produce a dramatic headline.

The Civil Aviation Authority’s latest passenger survey shows that satisfaction with UK airports remains high, even as passenger numbers continue to grow. Across the eight airports surveyed, 225 million passengers travelled during 2025, up 2% on the previous year, while the average passenger rating edged upwards from 8.36 to 8.39 out of ten. 

UKACCs brings together 23 Airport Consultative Committees from across the country. They represent airports of very different sizes, serving different markets and communities, but they share an important purpose: providing independent forums in which airports can listen to, engage with and be challenged by their stakeholders. 

Sometimes events have a habit of reinforcing the subject you are about to discuss.

As members of the Heathrow Passenger Forum (HPF) arrived for our September meeting, one remarked that the airport seemed unusually quiet. There were noticeably fewer aircraft landing and apparently nothing taking off.

We soon discovered why. A failure affecting the UK’s air traffic control system was causing major disruption at Heathrow and Gatwick. For several hours, aircraft movements were severely restricted, flights were cancelled or delayed, and incoming aircraft were diverted elsewhere.

Heathrow expansion is back at the centre of the national conversation. For those of us whose job is to represent passengers, that raises a deceptively simple question: what would expansion actually mean for the people who use the airport?

The Heathrow Passenger Forum has now submitted its response to the Government’s consultation on the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement.

We support the principle of expansion. But our support is neither unconditional nor simply about adding another runway.

We visited the Heathrow Airport Operations Centre within the Compass Centre. Heathrow’s state-of-the-art, 24/7 ‘nerve centre’ where they monitor almost every variable you can think of – within the airport, around the airport, and then throughout the south-east, and way beyond the UK’s shores.

Every quarter the Heathrow Passenger Forum meets to discuss topical issues which have an impact on the passengers who fly from, into and through the airport, and to raise topics with senior managers and decision makers at the airport which can make a difference to that experience. It is important work, last month Heathrow made history becoming the first major European hub to welcome over 8 million passengers in a single month.

Over the next month the Heathrow Passenger Forum chair Mark Izatt is looking to bring in some new, independent members.

The role is voluntary but it is insight rich. You get an opportunity to make a difference and it is an interesting role.