Airport Crime Report: Crime rate Analysis

Whether travelling for business or pleasure, airports can often be one of the most stressful parts of getting to your destination. From long queues at baggage check-in and security to gate changes and last-minute cancellations, some parts of the airport experience can significantly raise a traveller’s blood pressure.

However, in addition to these common complaints, airports also attract their fair share of crime, only adding to the potential problems you might face before boarding your flight. Airports are generally very safe places to be, with incredibly tight security, a heavy police presence and plenty of SIA Licensed security staff in shops and restaurants.

Despite all of these security measures, it seems like people behave a little differently in airports than they would in everyday settings. Hundreds of thousands of people pass through UK airports each day, from all walks of life, making them some of society’s busiest melting pots.

With this in mind, we at Get Licensed wanted to find out which UK airports see the most crime each year, as well as where airport crime is increasing the most. Having conducted a series of Freedom of Information requests to UK police forces, we can provide an exclusive insight into crime at British airports, covering all manner of misdemeanours from rowdy public disturbances to more serious drug-related and sexual offences.

Humberside Airport saw the most crimes per person in 2022

1. Humberside Airport                                         Crimes per 100,000 people: 9.7

Humberside Airport saw the highest number of crimes per person in 2022, with the Humberside Police revealing that 9 crimes were recorded between January and December. There were 92,465 passengers at the airport in 2022, equating to 9.7 crimes being committed per 100,000 people.

2. London Luton Airport                                     Crimes per 100,000 people: 7.2

London Luton Airport saw the second-highest number of crimes recorded per person in 2022. Bedfordshire Police recorded 959 crimes throughout the year at Luton Airport and taking into account its 13,324,491 passengers, this equates to 7.2 crimes per 100,000 people.

3. Manchester Airport                                         Crimes per 100,000 people: 6.4

Manchester Airport saw the third-highest number of crimes recorded per person in 2022. Greater Manchester Police recorded 1,505 crimes throughout the year at Manchester Airport and in relation to its 23,364,471 passengers, this equates to 6.4 crimes per 100,000 people.

Heathrow saw the most airport crimes in 2022

1. Heathrow Airport                                          Total Crimes 2022: 2,494

Heathrow Airport has the highest number of crimes recorded in 2022, with the Metropolitan Police revealing that 2,494 crimes were committed in the 12 months from January to December last year. As the UK’s busiest airport, it is unsurprising that Heathrow has the highest crime rate of any airport in our study but, with almost 1,000 more crimes than any other airport, crime at Heathrow appears to be particularly commonplace.

2. Manchester Airport                                      Total Crimes 2022: 1,505

Manchester Airport has the second-highest number of crimes reported in 2022, with a total of 1,505. While this is almost 1,000 fewer than first-place Heathrow, it is still a considerable way ahead of the majority of other UK international airports and is over 500 more than our third-place airport.

3. London Luton Airport                                  Total Crimes 2022: 959

London Luton Airport was the third most crime-ridden airport in 2022, with a total of 959 committed in the calendar year. While the airport is one of London’s major transit hubs, it is situated on the outskirts of Luton town, just north of the capital in Bedfordshire.

Edinburgh saw the biggest increase in airport crimes

1. Edinburgh Airport                                        Annual Increase: 529%

Edinburgh Airport saw the largest % increase in crime from 2021 to 2022, rising by 529% from just seven crimes to 44. While these numbers themselves aren’t huge, it is a considerable proportional increase that clearly shows the Scottish capital’s main transport hub is suffering from a spike in criminality.

2. London City Airport                                     Annual Increase: 296%

London City Airport saw the second-highest increase in crime in 2022, with levels rising by 296%. This increase saw the number of crimes rise from just 26 in 2021 to 103 in 2022, almost quadrupling in the space of twelve months. As the most centrally-located of London’s airports, situated in the Royal Docks within the Borough of Newham, London City Airport is much smaller in scale and operates predominantly operates flights to more business-focused locations.

3. Bristol Airport                                               Annual Increase: 292%

Bristol Airport saw the third-largest increase in airport crimes in 2022, with a 292% increase seeing the number of crimes rise from 77 in 2021 to 302 the following year. Bristol Airport is one of the main places to fly from in the South West and is located between its namesake city and the Mendip Hills AONB.

Theft offences were the most common type of airport crime in 2022

1. Theft Offences                                                          2022 Total: 2,891

The most common type of airport crime in 2022 was theft, with 2,891 of these offences recorded last year across the international airports in our study. These offences include a wide variety of types of theft, such as shoplifting, robbery and theft from a vehicle. This highlights the importance of staying aware of your possessions when in a busy airport environment, as well as making sure your cases are properly secured and your car is locked with a functioning alarm system if you’re leaving it at the airport.

2. Miscellaneous Crimes Against Society                 2022 Total: 1,821

Many crimes in the data provided by police forces were listed as miscellaneous or did not fall into any of the over-arching categories. These crimes were grouped as miscellaneous crimes against society, forming the second largest category with 1,821 crimes recorded in 2022. This result indicates the wide range of criminal activity that takes place at UK airports, showing that it pays to be aware of yourself and other people when travelling through these often bustling locations.

3. Violence Against the Person                                   2022 Total: 555

Violent crimes are the third most common type seen at UK airports, with as many as 555 offences recorded in 2022. These crimes can range from physical assault to stalking and harassment and are very serious offences which threaten the safety of victims and passersby. Thankfully, the considerable presence of police officers and SIA Licenced security staff at UK airports means that violence is never tolerated and passengers should feel safe in their surroundings before boarding their flights.

Theft offences are the fastest-growing airport crime

1. Theft Offences                                                          Annual Increase: 234%

Theft offences saw the biggest increase in incidents in 2022, with an increase of 234% from the previous year seeing the number of theft offences rise from 866 to 2,891. This staggering increase shows that the main motivation for crime at UK airports is monetary, with criminals attempting to take advantage of the busy and transitory nature of these transport hubs to get away with their crimes.

2. Sexual Offences                                                        Annual Increase: 148%

Sexual offences saw the second largest increase in offences in 2022, with a rise from 40 offences in 2021 to 99 a year later translating to a 148% increase. While this is a worrying increase that puts the safety of female and vulnerable travellers into question, the overall number of sexual crimes remains low in comparison to the other categories.

3. Miscellaneous Crimes Against Society                 Annual Increase: 136%       

Miscellaneous crime saw the third-largest increase in offences at 136%, with the total number of crimes rising from 771 in 2021 to 1,821 in 2022. Despite this figure being quite vague as to the specific type of crime it represents, it does reveal that airports are continuing to see an ever-wider range of criminal activity that could threaten the safety of passengers in the UK.

The most common crime at each international UK airport

Here we can see which types of crime are most common at different UK international airports. For the majority of airports, such as Heathrow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff airports, theft offences were the most common crime recorded in 2022.

The most notable outlier is Newcastle International Airport, as drug offences were the most common crime recorded in 2022 with 129 separate instances. Meanwhile, the most common crime type reported at Humberside Aiport in 2022 was criminal damage and arson, though this only amounted to a total of 4 offences.

Several Scottish airports including Aberdeen City, Glasgow and Glasgow Prestwick all recorded driving offences as being the most common crime type, though this could be because the categories of crime are different in Scotland than they are in the rest of the UK. Crime categories also differ in Northern Ireland, which could have contributed to Belfast City Airport seeing recording violent crime as the most common category, with 4 separate offences.

The airport that recorded the highest number of each crime

Here we can see which airports had the most recorded crimes for each category. Manchester Airport has the most crimes in four different categories, including theft offences (943), sexual offences (32), public order offences (155), and criminal damage and arson (75). This suggests that Manchester Airport is one of the least safe international airports in the UK, and serious efforts need to be made to reduce the number of serious crimes such as theft and sexual offences, which threaten the immediate safety of travellers.

Glasgow Airport tops the table for three separate categories, recording the most driving offences (156) as well the highest number of bail offences (6) and fraud and forgery crimes (4). Heathrow is the only other airport to top multiple categories, recording the most violent crime (233) and miscellaneous offences (1,387).

London Luton recorded the most possession of weapons offences (87), while Newcastle International Airport had the highest number of drug-related offences (129). Aviation offences, such as shining laser pens at planes and preventing flights from taking off, were most common at Birmingham Airport (23), while Belfast International Airport reported the most immigration-related offences (4).

Crime at Airport Train Stations

When travelling to an airport, many people rely on public transport such as trains to get there, avoiding potential traffic jams at a fraction of the cost of a taxi. However, the stations themselves are another potential stomping ground for the criminally minded, so we wanted to get an overview of the crimes at airport train stations in recent years.

Courtesy of a Freedom of Information request made to the British Transport Police, we can see that number of crimes at airport train stations saw a considerable increase in 2022, rising by 66.04% from 159 to 264.

While some of this increase will likely be due to the increase in travel as the world moves on from the covid pandemic, it is still a concerning increase that highlights the importance of remaining aware of your surroundings in busy public places.

1. Theft of Passenger Property                                   Total Crimes 2022: 65

Just like crime within the actual airports, theft offences are the most common type of crime in airport train stations, with 65 incidents of theft of passenger property being recorded in 2022.

2. Pedal Cycle                                                    Total Crimes 2022: 51

The second largest crime group reported by the British Transport Police taking place at airport train stations was “pedal cycle”, which involves all crime related to the theft and damage of bicycles. There were 51 instances of pedal cycle crime in airport train stations, which is worth bearing in mind if travelling with or via a bicycle.

3. Serious Public Order                                               Total Crimes 2022: 41

Serious public order offences were the third most common type of crime recorded at airport train stations in 2022, with a total of 41 separate offences. Pubic order offences are a big problem at airports as holidaymakers often enjoy a few celebratory drinks before flying, which in some cases can get out of hand. Remember to temper your excitement if enjoying a toast to your travels!

Methodology

We wanted to find out which types of crime are most common at UK international airports. To find out, we conducted a series of Freedom of Information requests which were sent to UK police forces, requesting data showing the number of crimes committed at airports within their jurisdiction in 2021 and 2022, as well as a breakdown of the types of crime for each year.

We received responses for a total of 21 UK international airports, though we were unable to provide figures for the following major airports: East Midlands Airport, London Southend Airport, Gatwick Airport, Southampton Airport, Newquay Airport, City of Derry Airport, Exeter Airport.

The crimes were grouped into categories according to the groupings found in crime data published by the ONS, as well as including additional categories for driving offences, bail offences, and fraud and forgery. As Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland record crime slightly differently, crimes reported in airports under their jurisdiction were assigned to the best approximate category where possible.

We then compared the number of crimes in each category and airport in 2022, as well as calculated the % difference between 2021 and 2022 to reveal what and where airport crime is increasing the fastest.

A Freedom of Information request was also made to the British Transport Police to find out how many crimes were committed at airport train stations in 2021 and 2022, including a breakdown of the types of offences. These offences are grouped slightly differently from the rest of our data as the British Transport Police uses different categories.