LONDON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- The number of charter air flight passengers in Britain is declining due, in part, to delay issues, a British Civil Aviation Authority report found.
The report determined that while budget airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair are drawing additional customers, most charter airlines have seen declines in their business dealings, The Independent reported Saturday.
The CAA report said that during the past 12 months, domestic air travel in Britain dropped by 1.4 percent overall. That decrease represented the end of a trend during which the number of air passengers had grown steadily since the mid-1970s.
The report said environmental issues were not the leading cause for the sudden change in air travel business, instead blaming the decline on air travel delays and improved rail travel in Britain.
"As yet, air passengers' attitudes to the environment do not seem to be having a significant effect on the demand for air travel," the report's authors said.
The Independent said the British government remained optimistic regarding air travel, predicting passenger numbers will triple by the year 2030.
