Heathrow's lead narrows to just 3,012 passengers
London's Heathrow Airport is on the verge of losing its long-held title as Europe's busiest airport, new figures from airports group ACI Europe show. In May, just 3,012 more passengers used Heathrow than its Turkish rival Istanbul Airport, with both airports recording 7.12 million passengers during the month.
Heathrow suffered a 1.2% decline in passenger numbers compared to May 2025, while Istanbul enjoyed a 2% year-on-year boost. The airport recently warned that the Iran-US conflict is putting "notable downward pressure on traffic", with its Middle East routes down 25%.
Annual forecast and capacity constraints
Heathrow expects its annual passenger numbers to fall by 1.1% this year compared with 2025. Despite the decline, the airport continues to operate its two runways at near-full capacity. Last year, 84.5 million passengers passed through its four terminals.
The airport's owners are seeking Government permission to build a third runway, which would enable it to accommodate 150 million passengers per year.
Government consultation and political support
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched a consultation on the renamed Heathrow expansion national policy statement last month, setting out conditions needed for the project to proceed. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she was determined to get "spades in the ground" for the third runway in the current Parliament, with a target completion date of 2035.
