Heathrow Airport has reported a record 39.8 million passengers in the first half of this year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and signaling a strong recovery.
The airport, located on the western edge of London, had its busiest day ever on June 30, with more than 268,000 travelers on more than 1,300 flights.
This record surpasses the 38.8 million passengers registered in the first half of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the increase in passenger numbers, revenues for the six-month period fell 2.9 percent to £1.69 billion, and adjusted revenues fell 11.1 percent to £951 million. However, pre-tax profits rose 15.8 percent to £323 million, with profits moving from an adjusted loss of £139 million to a profit of £178 million.
Growth was driven by high load factors and the use of larger aircraft, especially on routes to Asia and the Middle East, where demand has doubled in recent years. In anticipation of record passenger numbers this summer, Heathrow has expanded its workforce to 90,000 employees, aiming to avoid past chaos and improve punctuality, which stood at 72.8 percent in the first six months of the year. More than 95 percent of passengers passed security checks within five minutes.
However, flight revenues, including landing fees, aircraft parking fees and passenger security fees, fell by almost 8 percent due to the Civil Aviation Authority’s strict H7 settlement. This settlement sets the annual cap on passenger charges paid by airlines and sets the regulatory environment for Heathrow since 2022.
The airport is working to address a £400 million shortfall from the settlement, introducing initiatives to streamline operations and increase efficiency without compromising the passenger experience or safety. These efforts contributed to an adjusted pre-tax profit of £178 million in the first half.
Heathrow’s strategy includes six ‘beacons’ aimed at making Heathrow an exceptional, future-proof airport. These strategies focus on building a ‘winning team’, embracing a ‘digital future’ and ‘creating capacity’, all designed to deliver the greatest ‘value for customers’.
Thomas Woldbye, CEO of Heathrow, praised his team’s dedication in managing record passenger numbers while maintaining excellent customer service. In addition to passenger traffic, 765 tonnes of freight passed through Heathrow, supporting British industries as they entered global export markets.
Woldbye highlighted the importance of Heathrow to the UK economy and called for policy support to increase global competitiveness and sustainable growth. He expressed optimism at the new government’s recognition of Heathrow’s role in national growth and urged policies that would make Heathrow the European hub airport of choice.
Despite attracting new routes and record passenger numbers, Heathrow faces competitive pressure from European hubs due to bureaucratic tax and border policies that push passengers to competing airports.