Record year for passenger numbers lands aviation data at the centre of UK property transactions
Airport expansion set to add an additional 600,000 flights annually
Forward-thinking surveyors, conveyancers and mortgage brokers now have the tools to turn flight path exposure into a standard component of property due diligence
My Flight Path launches free ‘Flight Blight’ postcode checker
Data published last week by the UK Civil Aviation Authority confirms that 2025 was the busiest year in the history of British aviation, with a record 302 million passenger journeys passing through UK airports - a 2% increase on 2024.
My Flight Path, a property technology company providing aircraft noise and flight path data for residential and commercial property professionals, says the figures mark the moment aviation noise transitions from an overlooked nuisance into a mainstream property risk factor - and a significant professional opportunity.
Research consistently shows that significant aircraft noise can reduce property values by 10-25%, yet aviation impact has historically been absent from standard property searches, conveyancing reports and mortgage valuations. That can now change.
Expansion plans across Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and the UK's regional airports could add up to 600,000 flights annually to the national total - taking the UK from 2.7 million aircraft movements a year to 3.3 million, or almost 9,000 every single day. For property professionals, the direction of travel couldn't be clearer.
"The CAA's record-breaking figures are a signal that aviation data has arrived as a mainstream consideration for our industry," said Jono Oates, founder of My Flight Path. "Until now, property professionals simply haven't had the right tools to assess flight path exposure in the same way they assess flood risk, subsidence or contaminated land. That gap is closing. With over 300 million passengers and major airport expansions on the way, the professionals who get ahead of this will be better placed to protect their clients' health, wellbeing and financial security."
The opportunity extends beyond individual transactions. For developers and investors, aviation data offers a new dimension of market intelligence: infrastructure upgrades and new flight routes can create measurable value uplift in well-connected areas, while intensified overflight can suppress values in others. Airport expansion is also set to deepen the divide between growth corridors benefiting from improved connectivity and the "blight corridors" that sit beneath constant flight paths - a divide that professionals who can identify and advise on will be well placed to navigate for their clients.
The CAA data also revealed strong growth at regional airports, including Edinburgh (+8%), Liverpool (+11%) and Newcastle (+7%) - a reminder that the opportunity extends well beyond traditional aviation hotspots around Heathrow and Gatwick. For surveyors and conveyancers operating in these markets, incorporating aviation data represents a genuine first-mover advantage.
To help the industry act on this, My Flight Path has launched a free Flight Blight Checker that allows property professionals and their clients to instantly check any UK postcode for flight path exposure. The tool draws on hundreds of millions of aviation data points to provide an immediate indication of aircraft activity overhead, helping professionals identify potential issues before they become costly complaints or claims.
Oates added, "Our free postcode checker gives professionals a simple first line of defence, and our detailed Flight Blight Rating reports provide the evidence trail that demonstrates genuine due diligence. We're inviting the industry to lead on this - the data, and the means to act on it, are now there."
My Flight Path is working with property professionals across the country to establish aviation noise assessment as a standard component of property due diligence, alongside flood risk, ground stability and environmental searches.