More young travelers to fly in 2026. Photo: Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock Flying looks set to stay firmly on people’s plans next year, especially for younger travelers. According to fresh figures from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), demand is still on the rise, with nearly one in three people saying they expect to fly more in 2026 than they did last year.
That appetite is strongest among people under the age of 35. Almost half of people aged 18 to 34 say they plan to increase the number of flights they take, compared with 29% of those aged 35 to 54. Among people aged 55 and over, flying habits appear to be holding steady, with just over one in five expecting to travel more.
The survey also paints a generally positive picture of how passengers feel about air travel right now. Overall satisfaction has reached its highest level since the CAA began tracking it in 2016, with 88% of respondents saying they are happy with their flying experience. Complaints linked to disrupted flights have not increased, remaining at 15%, but there has been a noticeable improvement in how those complaints are handled. Satisfaction with complaint handling has jumped to 72%, up ten points from last year.
Selina Chadha, Group Director of Consumers and Markets at the UK CAA, said the figures point to another busy year ahead.
“Consumers want to fly more and 2026 is lining up to be another year of growth, fuelled by demand from younger passengers,” she said.
She also cautioned that the headline numbers do not tell the full story.
“While it is encouraging that 88% of consumers are satisfied with their overall experience of flying, this figure drops for certain vulnerability groups - including those with accessibility/disability needs, those facing digital barriers and those facing financial constraints,” Chadha added.
Barriers to flying remain a real issue for some groups. Disabled passengers were less likely to have flown in the past year, with only 42% taking a flight. Satisfaction levels were also lower among travellers with accessibility needs, people who are not confident using digital tools, and those under financial pressure. For all three groups, satisfaction sat at around 80 to 82%, noticeably below the overall average.
Cost continues to be the biggest obstacle. Among people who did not fly at all in the past 12 months, 36% said financial reasons were the main factor. Even so, perceptions of value for money have improved, with 76% saying they are satisfied, the best result since 2021.
Environmental concerns remain on passengers’ minds, but priorities are mixed. While three quarters of people say they worry about climate change, only 32% believe reducing aviation’s environmental impact should be the industry’s top focus. For now, convenience, cost and reliability still seem to matter most.