Heathrow experienced a record-breaking December in 2024, marking its busiest month ever. As a result, the airport welcomed over 7 million passengers, contributing to an impressive annual total of 83.9 million travelers. This figure surpassed the previous record set in 2019 by 3 million, highlighting Heathrow’s resurgence in air travel demand.
Moreover, the surge in passenger numbers included a notable 13% increase on Christmas Day, with 160,000 people traveling through the airport. This growth aligns with Heathrow’s ongoing efforts to enhance its facilities and services. Consequently, the airport aims to provide better value and innovation for its customers and the UK as a whole.
In addition, popular routes in 2024 featured destinations like New York, Los Angeles, Dublin, and Madrid. These routes strengthened Heathrow’s position as a global connectivity hub. Notably, the route between New York’s JFK and Heathrow ranked among the top ten busiest worldwide, with airlines scheduling over 4 million seats throughout the year.
Furthermore, flights between Newark and Heathrow accounted for 1.1 million seats, contributing to over 5.1 million seats between New York and London. However, despite these numbers, the busiest international route connected Hong Kong and Taiwan, offering 6.7 million seats in 2024.
Additionally, Heathrow’s data showed growth across most markets. For instance, North America saw a 3.3% rise in passengers, totaling 20.6 million. Meanwhile, the European Union remained the largest market, with 28.1 million passengers, while non-EU Europe experienced a 7.4% increase.
Looking ahead, Heathrow anticipates a further rise in passenger numbers. Specifically, the airport projects 84.2 million travelers in 2025. As expected, “grey Mondays” are likely to boost holiday bookings, contributing to this growth.
Related stories:
Catch up on the top stories and travel deals by subscribing to our newsletter!
Leave a Reply