Heathrow Airport has welcomed a record 39.8 million passengers in the first half of 2024, with high load factors and larger aircraft driving growth, as well as key destinations in Asia and the Middle East experiencing more than doubled demand in recent years.
June 30 was the airport’s busiest day so far, with over 268,000 passengers traveling on over 1,300 flights.
To help it handle the record numbers, Heathrow has employed 90,000 staff, which is helping to drive strong operational performance – departures punctuality has improved year-on-year to 72.8% in the first six months of 2024 and over 95% passengers passed through security in less than five minutes.
Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said, “Serving record-breaking passenger numbers while continuing to deliver excellent customer service is no easy feat and is testament to the dedication of my hardworking colleagues. In addition to the nearly 40 million passengers that flew through Heathrow during the first six months, so did 765,000 tonnes (metric tons) of cargo, supporting world leading British industries to access global export markets.
“We are working hard to deliver economic benefits for all of the UK, but this needs to be supported by joined up policy making that prioritizes global competitiveness and sustainable growth. We are encouraged by the new government’s recognition of Heathrow’s role in powering growth across the country, and look forward to working with ministers to ensure we are firing on all cylinders and retain our global standing.”