Thousands of football fans are taking to the air for the Champions League final in Madrid, it could ensure UK airspace the busiest day ever.
Liverpool and Tottenham are due to go head to head at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday, there is said to be a stream of commercial planes and private jets departing from Merseyside and London.
Some 9,000 flights are predicted to take off this beats the daily record of 8,854 set on May 25th last year. Air traffic controls have warned travellers about delays they could face due to “limited capacity on the ground at some airports and in the air”. There are said to be 800 extra flights planned between Friday and Sunday.
Madrid airport is preparing to handle the record number of flights over the three days with over 1,100 biz-jet and 400 charter movements, plus 200 private jet journeys.
A spokeswoman for Nats said: “With two English teams contesting the title we’re expecting to handle up to 800 extra flights between Friday and Sunday, ferrying tens of thousands of fans to the Spanish capital and back, with Madrid airport themselves expected to handle a record number of flights, with over 1,100 biz-jet and 400 charter movements planned over the three days.
“We’re expecting around 400 additional charter flights – which will include airlines moving aircraft around to get them in the right place – and then over 200 private jet movements. And that’s on top of the 8,000+ flights we’d handle on a normal May day.
“Looking after those extra flights on top of what is already the busiest time of year is a huge undertaking, so together with the airports and airlines, we’ll be doing everything we can to get people to the game on time and home again, safely.
“There is no doubt this is going to be a challenging weekend, with limited capacity on the ground at some airports and in the air making delays possible.”
The Department of Transport said the infrastructure in the sky has not been updated in more than 50 years and it plans will increase capacity and cut delays.
Aviation Minister Baroness Vere said: “Like our road and rail infrastructure on the ground, we need to keep our infrastructure in the sky up to date to keep people moving.
“It hasn’t fundamentally changed since the 1950s, and, without action, one in three flights could face delays of half an hour or more by 2030.
“It is a complex and pressing task, but it will make flying cleaner, quieter and quicker, as we make our aviation sector one of the greenest in the world.”
The plans means planes will burning less fuel and will increase the number of flight paths. It also means planes will make greater use of GPs-like equipment meaning flights will be more direct.
Nats welcomed the plans, saying: “It will mean we can better manage noise, reduce carbon emissions and minimise delays.”
