Travelling by plane

London has five airports: Heathrow to the west, Gatwick to the south, Luton and Stansted to the north and the City Airport in the City of London. Heathrow Airport is the busiest international airport in the world, with 1,200 planes taking off and landing every day. Gatwick is the second busiest. Every year 94 million passengers use London's airports. The airports are vital, not only for the success of London's financial business in the City but also for tourism in Britain. London's links with the rest of the world are good, so many people change planes in London to catch long-distance flights.

People going to Britain do not always have to fly to London. Important cities with their own airports include Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Belfast, Aberdeen and Newcastle.

Michael Vaughan-Rees, Geraldine Sweeney, Picot Cassidy: In Britain. 21st Century Edition, Cornelsen Verlag, 2000, page 31