London Heathrow Airport (LHR) has recorded its busiest February in 2024, with over 5.8 million passengers, an increase of 11% on the previous year's figure of 5.2 million. This shows that the airport's recovery is gaining momentum, surpassing the pre-pandemic levels of February 2019.
LHR was on track for a record February, even excluding the extra 207,000 passengers on 29 February due to the leap year. Compared to 5.2 million passengers in the same month last year and 5.5 million passengers in February 2019, the airport has shown consistent growth, reaffirming its position as a leading global aviation hub.
This year's mid-winter school holiday period turned out to be the busiest on record, with over 2 million passengers travelling to warmer destinations over the period. Passengers expressed a much greater preference for sunny winter destinations than for popular ski holidays.
Furthermore, February saw a significant increase in cargo volumes as well as passenger numbers at Heathrow. More than 105,000 tonnes of goods passed through the airport, an increase of over 5% on the same month last year. With further cargo capacity and infrastructure investment, Heathrow aims to consolidate its position as one of Europe's leading cargo airports.
Nevertheless, airport CEO Thomas Woldbye expressed his disappointment at the UK government's latest budget, saying that opportunities to continue the economic recovery had been missed.
It was wonderful to welcome so many passengers for the first holiday peak of 2024, setting a new Heathrow record. While we are serving more people, visitors to the UK are spending less since the removal of tax-free shopping, impacting businesses across the country. The Spring Budget was a missed opportunity to give the whole tourism, hospitality and retail sector the support it needs to compete internationally.
What's Behind the Surge in Traffic at Heathrow Airport ?
Most of the growth is due to Heathrow further expanding the flight options available to travellers, with new routes recently launched, including increased connectivity to the north of Scotland via Loganair and new British Airways flights linking Abu Dhabi, Kos and Izmir. Virgin Atlantic has also started services to Bangalore, while Vueling has re-established services to Barcelona and Paris. All these additions will increase capacity during the Summer Olympics period.
Major airlines operating from Heathrow, notably British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines, have resumed many of the routes interrupted during the pandemic and added new destinations. Thanks to the greater choice of destinations and more frequent flights, both tourists and business travellers are attracted.
Pent-Up Demand for International Travel
After nearly two years of restricted overseas travel, there is a significant demand for international travel. At Heathrow Airport, there are numerous international transfer passengers, as well as those starting or ending their journey in London. Gradually reopening borders is allowing more people to visit friends and relatives abroad or take long-awaited holidays.
The rise in traffic is a positive indication of the recovery of the aviation industry. However, it is also creating operational pressures for Heathrow Airport. Managing growing volumes while maintaining safety, security and the passenger experience requires the airport to ensure it has adequate resources.
Plans for Expansion and Improving Passenger Experience
Heathrow Airport is implementing measures to reduce traffic congestion and improve the passenger experience. These include Heathrow's plans to build a 3rd Runway, which will increase the airport's capacity by over 25% and allow for up to 740,000 additional flights by 2050.
The expansion aims to reduce delays, support growth and maintain Heathrow's position as an international aviation hub. However, local residents are opposed to the plans because of concerns about increased noise and pollution.