Does anyone really fly on Christmas Day – and is it cheaper?

One might think the skies at Christmas are empty bar one reindeer-drawn sleigh crisscrossing the globe at light speed, but you’d be wrong.

Despite the prospect of navigating an airport on December 25 being deeply unsavoury to most human beings, hubs across the UK can expect thousands of passengers to pass through their doors this year.

So how many flights are there Christmas Day?

Nats, the air traffic control agency in charge of much of UK airspace, says that on a peak day in the summer, Britain’s skies see more than 8,000 flights, while on December 25 this number falls to fewer than 2,000.

This year, 8,756 flights flew across, to and from the UK on August 31, while Christmas Day last year witnessed just 1,801; the fewest of the year but hardly a library; 619 flights are expected to depart the UK on December 25 this year (compared to 2,148 on Christmas Eve).

Nats put together the video below to show our airspace over the course of Christmas Day 2017, with London airports the busiest, followed by Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The earliest morning flights are likely to be cargo, while the civilian traffic kicks in a little later.

FlightRadar24.com, which tracks planes around the world, says Christmas Day is the quietest of the year, with 101,511 tracked on the 25th last year, compared to 209,752 on a peak day in July.

You must save hundreds of pounds flying on Christmas Day?

Nope, the assumption that it’s cheaper to fly on December 25 is false. Christmas is, in fact, the most expensive day of the festive season to fly, with prices far higher than both Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, according to Skyscanner.

The flight comparison website crunched the numbers of the average return fare for flights departing UK airports on each day from mid-December to New Year’s Eve and found that the cheapest day for flying was December 31.

Of the five busiest days for flights, four are before Christmas, with the other (the fourth busiest), on December 27.

Where's everyone going?

Skyscanner says New York is the most-searched destination for flights departing between December 18 and New Year’s Eve, followed by Bangkok and Tenerife. The top 10 is split between festivities in Europe and winter sun further afield.

Top 10 destinations for festive flying

1. New York

2. Bangkok

3. Tenerife

4. Dublin

5. Amsterdam

6. Dubai

7. Paris

8. Alicante

9. Sydney

10. Malaga

Do passengers celebrate Christmas at 35,000 feet?

British Airways senior first officer Stuart Beech, who will be flying from London Heathrow to South Africa on Christmas Eve, explains: “It's one of our busiest periods of the year where everyone is pulling together to get our customers away to their loved ones. It's a wonderfully festive time, whether arriving or departing, and British Airways staff and customers are in high spirits usually wearing a festive item or two, maybe sing a song or three.”

Beech says that on the 12-hour flight to Johannesburg passengers will be treated to festive food, drink and films. The senior first officer experienced fame earlier in the month thanks to an appearance on Michael McIntyre's Big Show thanks to his penchant for singing.

“We will be flying over the equator as midnight approaches, stars are usually shiny and bright,” he said, “maybe a quiet rendition of Silent Night as most of our passengers are likely to be sleeping.”

Is anything at the airport open?

“The airport definitely has a different feel to it,” says Luke Mosley, incidents operations manager at London Gatwick, the UK’s second busiest airport, which will have 86 flights depart on Christmas Day. “It’s so much quieter than normal. There’s a lovely atmosphere in the airport, though. Everyone gets into the festive spirit, and with fewer passengers departing, the operation tends to be slightly more relaxed.”

Luke says many of the passengers flying on Christmas Day have to work up until Christmas Eve, while for some it’s just another day. “Of course, some people aren’t too fussed about Christmas,” he says.

In terms of festive sustenance, airports restaurants such as Jamie’s and Wagamama, will open all day from 4.30am, while shops will remain open until 7pm. “I really don’t mind working on Christmas Day,” says Luke. “At the end of the day, an airport is a 24-hour operation, and someone’s got to be here. It should just feel like a typical airport day -perhaps with some added tinsel.”

Are you flying this Christmas? Tell us why, where and whether you expect it to be full of festive cheer, in the comments section below.