London Heathrow Airport has lost its status as Europe’s busiest airport by passenger numbers to Turkey’s Istanbul for the first time since 2023, according to newly released figures.
Figures published by the west London airport showed that 7.9 million passengers traveled through Heathrow in July, fewer than the 8.15 million recorded by Istanbul Airport, British newspaper The Guardian reported.
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Passengers queue inside the departures terminal of Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport in London, Britain, June 27, 2022. Photo by Reuters |
Heathrow had ranked as Europe’s busiest airport for more than two decades before the Covid pandemic, according to annual data from industry trade body Airports Council International.
The airport lost the title in 2020 as Covid travel restrictions severely disrupted international air travel but reclaimed its position in 2023 and had remained Europe’s busiest airport since then.
Heathrow handled 1.5% fewer passengers in July than in the same month last year, while Istanbul Airport recorded a 2.3% increase.
Passenger traffic at Heathrow was also affected by the Iran-U.S. conflict, which disrupted travel demand and contributed to the airport’s weaker July performance, EuroNews reported.
It currently operates its two runways at almost full capacity, and has been seeking government permission to build a third runway for some time now.
Heathrow’s expansion proposal would see it able to process some 150 million passengers per year, up from just 85 million in 2025.
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