UK loses major title to £19bn airport that opened in 2018
Istanbul Airport has overtaken Heathrow as Europe's busiest.
Heathrow Airport has lost its position as Europe’s busiest airport to Istanbul. Figures published by the west London flights hub show 7.86 million passengers passed through its four terminals in July whereas its rival in Turkey recorded 8.15 million passengers over the same period.
Annual figures from trade body Airports Council International show Heathrow was Europe’s busiest airport from 1996 to 2019. It lost that position in 2020 amid coronavirus travel restrictions before regaining it in 2023 and holding the title since then.
Heathrow’s July passenger total represented a 1.5% decrease compared with the same month last year, whereas Istanbul saw a 2.3% boost.
The Iran-US conflict has had an impact on Heathrow’s passenger traffic, with its passenger numbers on Middle East routes in July down 20.2% year-on-year.
Despite this, Heathrow continues to operate two runways at near-full capacity and is seeking Government permission to build a third.
The cost of Istanbul Airport has been estimated at £19billion (€22bn). It was inaugurated in October 2018 and there are plans to build more runways with work due to be completed next year.
An expansion proposal by Heathrow’s owners would enable it to accommodate 150 million passengers per year. It recorded 84.46 million passengers in 2025.
Heathrow said in a statement that it is operating at capacity, adding: "The case for expansion has never been clearer, as Heathrow was overtaken in July by Istanbul airport as the busiest hub in Europe.
"Our plans will ensure the country gets the infrastructure it needs to stay competitive and will deliver all-important economic growth."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched a consultation on the renamed Heathrow expansion national policy statement in June, setting out the conditions needed if the project is to be given the go-ahead.
Then-chancellor Rachel Reeves said at the time she was determined to get “spades in the ground” for the third runway in the current Parliament, and for it to be built by 2035.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who sacked Ms Reeves, previously expressed concerns over Heathrow expansion, stating the plans divert infrastructure investment "away from the North and traps it in London".
Heathrow said July 19 was its busiest day of the year so far as many schools broke up for summer, with 267,000 passengers recorded.
It added several new airlines began serving the airport last month, which demonstrates “clear demand for access to Heathrow”.
They include ITA Airways from Italy, Alaska Airlines from the US and Riyadh Air from Saudi Arabia.
Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye said summer was "off to a flying start" but the airport wanted to go further by growing its route network and passenger offer.
He continued: "Expanding Heathrow will help ensure the UK remains home to Europe’s leading hub and continues to benefit from the trade, investment and tourism that increased connectivity will bring."
