Domestic UK aviation industry is now competing for customers with rail services.
According to the Air Transport Users Council (ATUC), rising rail travel costs has led to an increase in the number of tourists and backpackers flying between destinations and
hostels around the UK.
ATUC Industry Affairs Manager, James Fremantle, commented that the increases in domestic flights had been "massive".
He said: "It does appear that air fares are very competitive compared to rail fares and obviously passengers choose on price. And air travel is quicker as well.
"The prices have increased on the trains, there is a gap there and they are exploiting it, creating demand and taking passengers away from trains," he added.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) report published in November 2007, annual passengers at UK airports exceeded 100 million for the first time - nearly three times the number in 1990.
Regional airports handled 42 per cent of the total passengers using UK airports in 2006.
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