According to the investigation conducted by WatchmanSince 2019, more than 5,000 completely empty passenger flights have been registered to and from UK airports.
The data collected shows an average of 130 completely empty flights per month since 2019, with the seven largest airports led by Birmingham (1,455), Luton (1307) and Bristol (758). The number of empty flights does not correlate with the total number of flights at each airport, which suggests that they may reflect questions about certain routes.
In turn, data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) also shows that about 35,000 commercial flights have been operating nearly empty since 2019, with less than 10% of seats occupied.
Looking at the numbers, activists call these discoveries “shocking” because air travel produces more carbon emissions per hour than any other consumer activity. That’s why they say there is a need for a tax on jet fuel.
The British government also describes “stealth flights” as “damaging the environment”.
However, it is not yet understood exactly what leads to these flights having no passengers – or with a small number – because airlines do not publish data explaining this practice.
Despite this, it’s common knowledge that stealth flights can run according to the airport’s “use it or lose it” rules. Other reasons cited by airlines include Covid flights to repatriate or reposition aircraft. But this cannot be verified and activists say more transparency is needed.
William Shakespeare is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, history, and current affairs. With a keen eye for storytelling and analysis, he produces informative articles that help readers understand the people, ideas, and events influencing modern life.
