The fear of a tenth-anniversary attack on September 11 meant fewer British passengers boarded planes yesterday.
Flights from Britain were only 25 per cent full and security was heightened at airports following a 'credible but unconfirmed' threat of an Al Qaeda plot to attack the U.S. during the ceremonies remembering the victims.
While the major airlines refused to divulge traveller figures because of 'competitive reasons', passengers told MailOnline that flights were quiet.
One passenger aboard a Delta flight
from London to New York yesterday said business class was full but coach was
only about 25 per cent full.
'The crew said it was one of the quietest flights they had seen for a long time.
'JFK was like a ghost town, passport control is normally a 25-minute affair. They had only six booths open but still took only five minutes to get through.'
But there was 'no fear at all' among passengers, he said.
'If anything, people were slightly proud to be flying on 9/11, a sense of defiance that they were onboard, not scared and not prepared to change their plans,' the passenger added.
Photos show just a handful of passengers on the flight, with some having an entire row to themselves.
Delta refused to confirm the account, saying: 'I am sorry but it is our company policy not to give specific passenger numbers for competitive reasons'.
British Airlines and Virgin Atlantic said they did not have figures while EasyJet, Flybe and Thomson did not respond to queries.
Monarch Airlines said it operated 'a full schedule of flights' yesterday and said compared to last year, there was a rise in bookings.
The safety of Monarch passengers and employees is of paramount importance at all times.
But the fear of flying appears to have declined overall in the last 10 years, with the BAA reporting its busiest August ever.
It said today the airport had handled 6.6 million passengers, up 0.7 per cent on the previous year.
In another August record, 82.2 per cent of seats were filled on Heathrow flights.
BAA’s UK airports handled 10.7 million passengers in August, an increase of 0.2 per cent on last year.
Flights from Britain were only 25 per cent full and security was heightened at airports following a 'credible but unconfirmed' threat of an Al Qaeda plot to attack the U.S. during the ceremonies remembering the victims.
While the major airlines refused to divulge traveller figures because of 'competitive reasons', passengers told MailOnline that flights were quiet.
Room to move: A Delta flight from London to New York yesterday was almost empty as passengers avoided flying on September 11
'The crew said it was one of the quietest flights they had seen for a long time.
'JFK was like a ghost town, passport control is normally a 25-minute affair. They had only six booths open but still took only five minutes to get through.'
But there was 'no fear at all' among passengers, he said.
'If anything, people were slightly proud to be flying on 9/11, a sense of defiance that they were onboard, not scared and not prepared to change their plans,' the passenger added.
Keeping occupied: The small number of passengers can be seen using their TV screens
Photos show just a handful of passengers on the flight, with some having an entire row to themselves.
Delta refused to confirm the account, saying: 'I am sorry but it is our company policy not to give specific passenger numbers for competitive reasons'.
British Airlines and Virgin Atlantic said they did not have figures while EasyJet, Flybe and Thomson did not respond to queries.
Monarch Airlines said it operated 'a full schedule of flights' yesterday and said compared to last year, there was a rise in bookings.
The safety of Monarch passengers and employees is of paramount importance at all times.
But the fear of flying appears to have declined overall in the last 10 years, with the BAA reporting its busiest August ever.
It said today the airport had handled 6.6 million passengers, up 0.7 per cent on the previous year.
In another August record, 82.2 per cent of seats were filled on Heathrow flights.
BAA’s UK airports handled 10.7 million passengers in August, an increase of 0.2 per cent on last year.
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