The flying ants you see once a year are males and young queens. Each year, normally in July or August, huge numbers of flying ants suddenly appear. Queens can live for over 10 years and spend most of their lives in their nest.
(Source: https://www.rsb.org.uk/images/Why_do_ants_fly.pdf)

This one though – met the end of life too early … Mer Death of the flying ant