Heathrow Airport's February passenger volume hits a record 5.8 million travelers

LootboxPhobia · 2026-03-11T09:10:52+00:00

Heathrow Airport welcomed 5.8 million passengers in February, a year-on-year increase of 1.9%, reaching a record high, thanks to holiday travel. Despite the increase in passenger volume, the expansion pace lags behind the European average, with Istanbul Airport surpassing Heathrow. The airport performs well in punctuality and security screening efficiency, with cargo volume up 4% year-on-year. Heathrow will continue to push forward with expansion plans to address capacity constraints.

LootboxPhobia

2026-03-11 09:10:52

Abstract generation in progress

Heathrow Airport announced on Wednesday that it welcomed 5.8 million passengers in February, setting a new record for the month and a 1.9% increase compared to the same period last year.

This growth was driven by the school half-term holiday and Chinese New Year travel, with airlines operating larger aircraft with higher passenger loads. Passenger numbers increased by 110,000 compared to February last year.

Despite the growth, according to ACI data, Heathrow’s expansion rate still lags behind the European average of 4.6%, due to the airport operating near full capacity. Istanbul Airport has now surpassed Heathrow as Europe’s busiest airport.

Heathrow maintained strong operational performance in February, surpassing all European hub airports and London airports in on-time arrivals. Security screening efficiency remained high, with 98% of passengers completing security checks within 5 minutes.

Freight volume in February reached nearly 130,000 tons, a 4% year-on-year increase. Although pure cargo flights decreased, the airport maximized the belly cargo capacity of passenger flights, resulting in overall freight growth.

The EU market saw the strongest passenger growth at 2.9%, while Latin America declined by 3.7%. The Asia-Pacific region experienced a 5.5% increase, while Middle Eastern passenger traffic decreased by 2.8%.

Aircraft movements in February decreased by 1.3% to 35,347, with UK domestic flights down 7.1%. Movements in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific increased by 6.5% and 5.7%, respectively.

Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye stated that the airport is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East and working with airlines to facilitate additional flight applications for travelers affected by the conflict.

The airport continues to push forward with expansion plans, citing capacity constraints that limit passenger choices and market competition.

This article was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence. For more information, please see our Terms of Use.

View Original

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.