Heathrow has lost its position as Europe’s busiest airport to Istanbul, new figures show.
The airport said 7.86m passengers passed through its four terminals in July, while Istanbul Airport recorded 8.15m passengers over the same period.
The US-Israel conflict with Iran has hit Heathrow’s passenger traffic, with Middle East routes down 20.2% year-on-year in July.
Annual figures from trade body Airports Council International show Heathrow held the title of Europe’s busiest airport from 1996 to 2019. It lost that position in 2020 amid coronavirus travel restrictions, regaining it in 2023 and holding it ever since.
Expansion plans continue
Heathrow continues to operate its two runways at near-full capacity and is seeking government permission to build a third. An expansion proposal from the airport’s owners would enable it to accommodate 150m passengers per year.
Heathrow said “the case for expansion has never been clearer”, adding: “Our plans will ensure the country gets the infrastructure it needs to stay competitive and will deliver all-important economic growth.”
The airport recorded 84.46 million passengers in 2025, with 19 July its busiest day of the year so far as schools broke up for summer – 267,000 passengers passed through on that day alone. Heathrow said several new airlines began serving the airport last month, pointing to “clear demand for access to Heathrow”.
Last month it emerged that Heathrow will be allowed to charge airlines more for its services, to recover money spent on the early stages of its third runway project.