Heathrow is on the verge of losing its position as Europe’s busiest airport to Istanbul, new figures show. Just 3,012 more passengers used the west London airport than its Turkish rival in May, airports group ACI Europe said. The airports both recorded 7.12 million passengers during the month.
Declining Traffic at Heathrow
This came after Heathrow suffered a 1.2% decline from May 2025, while Istanbul enjoyed a 2% year-on-year boost. The former recently warned that the Iran-US conflict is putting “notable downward pressure on traffic”, with its Middle East routes down 25%. It said it expects its annual passenger numbers to fall by 1.1% this year compared with 2025.
Capacity Constraints and Expansion Plans
Despite this, Heathrow continues to operate its two runways at near-full capacity, and it is seeking Government permission to build a third. A proposal by the airport’s owners would enable it to accommodate 150 million passengers per year. Some 84.5 million passengers passed through Heathrow’s four terminals last year.
Government Support for Third Runway
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched a consultation on the renamed Heathrow expansion national policy statement last month, setting out the conditions needed if the project is to be given the go-ahead. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said at the time she was determined to get “spades in the ground” for the third runway in the current Parliament, and for it to be built by 2035.
