The majority of UK airports (67%) are confident that passenger growth will be stronger this year than in 2013.
The results of a poll by trade body the Airport Operators Association followed the Civil Aviation Authority reporting growth of 3.5% last year to 228 million passengers.
But the association wants the government to further reduce Air Passenger Duty to bring the UK in line with other countries.
The AOA study found that almost a quarter of airports (23%) believe growth in 2014 will ‘more or less match’ 2013, with just 9% expecting no growth and 1% saying numbers will decline.
Association chief executive Darren Caplan said: “Airports are a vital part of the UK’s economic prosperity, and play a crucial role in supporting a whole range of activity, such as tourism, manufacturing and exports.
“It is therefore extremely encouraging that passenger numbers are heading in the right direction and that our members are confident this trend will continue. We are hopeful that next year’s welcome reduction in long-haul APD will further boost demand for air travel, including to the emerging economies.
“We would now like the government to go further by reducing this levy across all bands, which will bring us into line with our nearest international competitors who are busy reducing or in many cases abolishing their respective air taxes, and make the UK a more attractive destination for airlines.
“UK airports have worked extremely hard to weather the economic storm of the past few years, and although we have a way to go to get back to pre-recession levels of air traffic, it is clear that our sector is heading in the right direction. This is not only good for aviation but is also vital for the future success of UK plc.”