Concerns that the current economic crisis would mean that holidaymakers would stay at home during the Christmas season were confirmed when the British Airports Authority, the largest airport operator in Britain, reported that their passenger numbers dropped by 6.9% during the month of December in comparison to last year.

The Gatwick Airport saw the biggest fall in traffic, where it fell by 13.8%, which is partly due to the move of some of the airport’s transatlantic flights to the London Heathrow Airport, along with the collapse of Zoom Airlines, which dealt specifically with North American services. The Stansted Airport witnessed a 13% decline in passenger numbers, which was caused by Ryanair’s and easyJet’s decisions to remove flights during the winter season while they braced for the fall in demand. Additionally, many carriers quit operating from Stansted Airport over the course of the year, which include MaxJet, Eos, and XL.

These latest reports reflect the gloom throughout the industry due to the lack of demand. While passengers are going to benefit from discounted prices and seat sales, there are fears that other carriers may go under unless there is a boost in business.

A spokesman for the British Airports Authority said that their results follow close to the economy, and he insisted that the prospects for these airports are good in the long-term. During 2008, there was a drop of 2.8% in traffic at the seven airports that the group operates, which include: Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Southampton, and Edinburgh. The overall numbers at the airports differ sharply, however, where London Heathrow Airport declined by only 1.4% and Stansted suffered by a 6% plunge.