The quietest and busiest airports in the UK: Where to fly from if you want to avoid crowds

Tens of millions of foreigners and expatriates fly into the UK every year. The capacity of airports in and around London is impressive, but it can be a problem for people who don't like crowds and a frantic pace.

We should warn you right away that the quietest airports are located further away from the capital, but that doesn't mean there aren't flights to key countries in Europe, Asia or America. CN Traveler has compiled a list of the busiest and quietest places.

The top spot rightfully belongs to London Heathrow, which welcomed more than 61 million people last year. Queen Elizabeth II inaugurated the central terminal in 1955, so this place has historical significance. This is where most flights from all over the world arrive.

Next on the list are Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted and Luton. All of them had from 10 to 32 million travelers last year.

The first place among the quietest and least busy airports is Kirkwall. Loganair is the only airline that regularly serves this runway in the Orkney Islands, and its remote location makes this airport not very convenient and unnecessary for tourists.

Travelers who want to go through security in silence and not stand in long lines can also pay attention to the airports of Humberside, Cornwall, Norwich and Bournemouth. None of them had more than 700 thousand people last year.