Heathrow has regained the top slot as Europe’s busiest airport but uncertainty still remains over future demand for passenger travel.
The airport said in a statement earlier this week (11 October) that 5.8 million passengers travelled through Heathrow in September and had also recorded the busiest summer out of any European hub airport including Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris and Madrid.
However, the September figures were still 15% below pre-pandemic levels.
Heathrow has cited concerns over future passenger numbers including the global economic downturn, the continuing conflict in Ukraine and a new wave of Covid-19.
The controversial passenger cap – introduced on July 12 – will also be lifted on October 29.
John Holland-Kaye, CEO of Heathrow, said: “Heathrow has grown more in the past 12 months than any airport in Europe and we’ve delivered a great passenger experience to the vast majority of travellers. I’m proud of the way our team has worked with airlines and their ground handlers to get 18 million passengers successfully away this summer. While we face many economic headwinds, as well as the legacy of Covid, our aim is to get back to full capacity and the world class service people should expect from the UK’s hub airport as soon as possible.”
