183 Heathrow Airport Statistics for 2026

How many passengers use Heathrow each year?

Heathrow is the busiest airport in the UK and had its busiest year on record in 2025. Passenger numbers have grown since 2000 while the number of flights has hardly changed, because airlines now fly bigger and fuller aircraft.

View data table

Terminal passengers at Heathrow in selected years, in millions, on the CAA's count. The years come from three CAA time-series tables; the link is to the latest one.

Period	Value
2000	64.3m
2005	67.7m
2010	65.7m
2015	75.0m
2019	80.9m
2020	22.1m
2021	19.4m
2022	61.6m
2023	79.1m
2024	83.9m
2025	84.5m

• All UK reporting airports handled 299,351,416 terminal passengers in 2025, so Heathrow had about 28% of the UK total, calculated from CAA figures; in 2020 it handled 22,109,550 of 73,761,978. (CAA (size of UK airports), Feb 2026)
• Adding the 18,905 transit passengers who stayed on board through flights, the CAA puts Heathrow's total at 84,481,178 in 2025; there were 24,843 transit passengers in 2024. (CAA (terminal and transit passengers), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow's own results put 2025 at over 84.5 million passengers, its busiest year, against 83.9 million in 2024; in February 2026 it forecast 85 million for 2026. (Heathrow (2025 results), Feb 2026)
• The CAA counted 80,886,589 terminal passengers at Heathrow in 2019, 19,392,178 in 2021, 61,596,618 in 2022, 79,149,042 in 2023 and 83,857,297 in 2024. (CAA (terminal passengers 2015-2025), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow handled 64,277,045 terminal passengers in 2000 and 60,453,330 in 2001, the year of the 11 September attacks. (CAA (UK airport data 1994-2004), Apr 2005)
• It handled 67,852,387 terminal passengers in 2007, 65,745,250 in 2010 and 73,371,096 in 2014. (CAA (UK airport data 2004-2014), May 2015)
• In August 2025 Heathrow became the first European airport to handle more than 8 million passengers in one month, and for the first time every month of the summer season passed 7 million. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Since its first commercial flight in May 1946, Heathrow says it has handled nearly 3 billion passengers on 22 million flights. (Heathrow (May 2026 traffic), Jun 2026)

The CAA counts terminal passengers, who arrive or depart through a terminal, and counts transit passengers who stay on board separately. Heathrow's own traffic figures and ACI World's total are different counts and differ slightly from the CAA's, so each is named; the chart uses the CAA series only. The 85 million for 2026 is Heathrow's forecast, made before the 2026 disruption in the Middle East.

How busy is Heathrow in 2026?

Heathrow's traffic in 2026 is close to its 2025 level. It grew in the first quarter, then fell slightly from April after airspace closures in the Middle East cut flights to and from the Gulf.

View data table

Heathrow's terminal passengers each month in 2026, in millions, from its own monthly traffic statistics.

Period	Value
Jan	6.46m
Feb	5.82m
Mar	6.65m
Apr	6.72m
May	7.12m
Jun	7.23m
Jul	7.86m
Aug	7.87m
Sep	7.18m

• Heathrow handled 18.9 million passengers in the first quarter of 2026, up 3.7% on 18.2 million a year earlier. (Heathrow (Jan-Mar 2026 results), Apr 2026)
• In April 2026 passengers fell 5.3% to 6.721 million, and passengers on Middle East routes fell 52.4% to 360 thousand. (Heathrow (Apr 2026 traffic), May 2026)
• Over the 12 months to April 2026, Heathrow handled 84.763 million passengers, up 0.9%. (Heathrow (Apr 2026 traffic), May 2026)
• May 2026 passengers were just over 1% down on May 2025, at more than 7.1 million. (Heathrow (May 2026 traffic), Jun 2026)
• Heathrow had a record 40 million passengers in the first half of 2026, up 0.2% on 39.9 million. (Heathrow (Jan-Jun 2026 results), Jul 2026)
• More than 7.85 million passengers used Heathrow in July 2026, and 267,000 travelled on 19 July, the busiest day of the year to that point. (Heathrow (Jul 2026 traffic), Aug 2026)
• 23 million passengers flew through Heathrow from June to August 2026, 7.8 million of them in August. (Heathrow (Aug 2026 traffic), Sep 2026)
• September 2026 passengers fell 2.3% to 7.180 million, and the 12 months to September totalled 84.089 million, unchanged on a year earlier. (Heathrow (Sep 2026 traffic), Oct 2026)
• Heathrow's Middle East passengers were 293,569 in March 2026, against 600,371 in March 2025, and 668,251 in August 2026, against 833,004 a year earlier. (Heathrow (monthly traffic statistics), Oct 2026)

All figures in this section are Heathrow's own counts. Its monthly press releases round differently from its monthly statistics file. October 2026 figures were not out when this page was reviewed.

Is Heathrow the busiest airport in Europe?

On ACI's figures, Heathrow was Europe's busiest airport in 2025, by a very small margin over Istanbul. Turkey's airport authority counts Istanbul's passengers its own way, and ACI EUROPE put Istanbul first for August 2026.

1. 1 London Heathrow 84.48m
2. 2 Istanbul 84.44m
3. 3 Paris-CDG 72.02m
4. 4 Amsterdam 68.77m
5. 5 Madrid 68.12m

• ACI EUROPE named Heathrow Europe's busiest airport for 2025, 40,000 passengers ahead of Istanbul, which had 84.44 million, up 5.5%. (ACI EUROPE (2025 traffic report), Feb 2026)
• Next on ACI EUROPE's 2025 list were Paris-CDG with 72.02 million passengers, Amsterdam with 68.77 million and Madrid with 68.12 million. (ACI EUROPE (2025 traffic report), Feb 2026)
• Turkey's state airports authority DHMI counted 84,457,421 passengers at Istanbul Airport in 2025. (DHMI (Turkey, 2025), Jan 2026)
• ACI World ranked Heathrow second in the world for international passengers in 2025, with 79,874,784, up 0.9%, behind Dubai with 95,192,160. (ACI World (2025 international ranking), Apr 2026)
• ACI World ranked Heathrow fifth in the world in 2024, with 83,884,572 passengers, up 5.9%. (ACI World (2024 rankings), Apr 2025)
• ACI EUROPE put Istanbul first in Europe for August 2026, with 8.6 million passengers, up 3%, and Heathrow second with 7.9 million, down 2.1%. (ACI EUROPE (summer 2026 traffic), Sep 2026)
• DHMI counted 64,502,869 passengers at Istanbul Airport from January to September 2026. (DHMI (Turkey, Jan-Sep 2026), Oct 2026)

ACI World and ACI EUROPE count total passengers at each airport. DHMI counts Istanbul's passengers on its own basis, so its total is not ranked against ACI's Heathrow figure. Heathrow's own January to September 2026 count and DHMI's count for Istanbul come from different bodies and are not compared. The 2024 and international rankings are ACI's preliminary tables, and the August 2026 figures are ACI EUROPE's monthly data.

Where do Heathrow passengers fly to and from?

Europe is Heathrow's largest market and North America the second. The Middle East was the market that fell furthest in 2026, and Asia-Pacific grew fastest.

1. 1 Europe 34.0m
2. 2 North America 20.6m
3. 3 Asia Pacific 11.0m
4. 4 Middle East 8.8m
5. 5 UK 4.6m
6. 6 Africa 3.4m
7. 7 Latin America 2.2m

• In 2025 Heathrow handled 34.0 million passengers on European routes, up 0.6%, and 20.6 million on North American routes, down 0.3%. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Asia Pacific routes carried 11.0 million passengers in 2025, up 2.6%, the Middle East 8.8 million, up 2.8%, and UK domestic routes 4.6 million, down 1.7%. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Africa (3.4 million, up 2.1%) and Latin America (2.2 million, down 1.8%) were Heathrow's smallest markets in 2025. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• From January to September 2026, EU routes carried 21.729 million passengers, up 1.6%, and North American routes 15.640 million, up 0.4%. (Heathrow (Sep 2026 traffic), Oct 2026)
• Asia/Pacific routes grew 6.2% to 8.760 million passengers in that period, while Middle East routes fell 23.2% to 4.928 million. (Heathrow (Sep 2026 traffic), Oct 2026)
• Non-EU Europe (4.273 million, up 2.5%), UK domestic (3.375 million, down 0.2%), Africa (2.591 million, up 4.5%) and Latin America (1.605 million, down 1.1%) made up the rest. (Heathrow (Sep 2026 traffic), Oct 2026)
• 1.97 million passengers flew between Heathrow and North America in June 2026, up 1.2%, as fans travelled to the FIFA World Cup; Asia-Pacific was the fastest-growing major market that month, with passengers up 2.5% and cargo up 11.7%. (Heathrow (Jun 2026 traffic), Jul 2026)
• The CAA counted 79,561,354 international terminal passengers at Heathrow in 2025: 28,412,870 on EU routes, up 1.1%, and 51,148,484 on other international routes, up 0.8%. (CAA (international passengers), Feb 2026)

Heathrow assigns passengers to a market by where the flight goes, not by nationality. Its annual report groups EU and non-EU Europe as Europe; its monthly releases split them. The CAA counts international and domestic passengers on its own basis, so its figures differ slightly from Heathrow's.

What are Heathrow's busiest routes?

Long-haul routes such as New York JFK, Dubai and Doha carry large numbers of Heathrow passengers, and Edinburgh and Glasgow are its main domestic routes, on CAA figures.

1. 1 New York JFK 3.22m
2. 2 Dubai 2.54m
3. 3 Doha 2.15m
4. 4 Dublin 1.82m
5. 5 Delhi 1.53m
6. 6 Madrid 1.50m
7. 7 Amsterdam 1.47m
8. 8 Los Angeles 1.46m
9. 9 Singapore 1.41m
10. 10 Frankfurt 1.38m

• On the CAA's route table, Heathrow's route to New York JFK had 3,220,238 passengers in 2025, down 0.6%. (CAA (international routes), Feb 2026)
• Dubai was second with 2,539,946 passengers, down 1.0%, and Doha third with 2,150,321, up 7.2%. (CAA (international routes), Feb 2026)
• Dublin (1,823,638, down 4.1%), Delhi (1,525,729, up 6.1%), Madrid (1,501,118, down 3.1%) and Amsterdam (1,469,288, up 0.6%) came next. (CAA (international routes), Feb 2026)
• Los Angeles fell 13.1% to 1,459,443 passengers, Singapore 6.6% to 1,411,442 and Frankfurt 2.7% to 1,379,388. (CAA (international routes), Feb 2026)
• Munich (1,305,493), Istanbul (1,292,819), Mumbai (1,240,364, up 9.7%), Toronto (1,214,726) and Hong Kong (1,212,724) were 11th to 15th. (CAA (international routes), Feb 2026)
• IATA reports New York JFK to London Heathrow as the busiest international airport pair from North America in 2025, with 2.1 million passengers. (IATA (World Air Transport Statistics 2025), Jul 2026)
• Edinburgh was Heathrow's busiest domestic route in 2025 with 1,089,587 passengers, down 6.1%, ahead of Glasgow (959,919), Belfast City (611,634, up 4.5%) and Manchester (606,085). (CAA (domestic routes), Feb 2026)
• Aberdeen (555,033), Newcastle (479,742), Jersey (284,682, down 15.0%) and Inverness (175,605, up 9.6%) followed. (CAA (domestic routes), Feb 2026)
• The CAA counted 4,900,919 domestic terminal passengers at Heathrow in 2025, down 2.6%. (CAA (domestic passengers), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow says almost 5 million passengers used its 13 domestic routes in 2025, and estimates they supported £1.2bn of tourism spending across the UK. (Heathrow (domestic routes), Oct 2026)

The CAA counts every passenger on direct flights between Heathrow and each airport, in both directions, including people connecting onward. IATA reports airport-pair passengers on its own basis, so its 2.1 million for New York JFK measures something different from the CAA's figure and the two are not compared. Heathrow's domestic total is its own rounded figure.

How many Heathrow passengers are connecting, and who are they?

Heathrow is the UK's main airport for changing planes, and a far higher share of its passengers connect than at Gatwick. Business travellers are a smaller share than before the pandemic, and about half of passengers live outside the UK.

View data table

Share of Heathrow passengers connecting between flights, on the CAA's departing passenger survey.

Period	Value
2019	34%
2023	27%
2024	27%
2025	26%

• The CAA's survey put Heathrow's connecting share at 27% in both 2023 and 2024; at Gatwick it was 5% in 2025. (CAA (passenger survey 2025), 2026)
• Of the 84.23 million passengers in the CAA's 2025 survey, 18.92 million (22.5%) were connecting between international flights and 2.82 million (3.3%) were connecting to or from domestic flights. (CAA (passenger survey 2025, passenger types), 2026)
• The rest were 60.42 million (71.7%) passengers starting or ending an international journey at Heathrow and 2.08 million (2.5%) starting or ending a domestic one. (CAA (passenger survey 2025, passenger types), 2026)
• Heathrow's transfer passengers rose 10% year on year in April 2026. (Heathrow (Apr 2026 traffic), May 2026)
• Transfer passengers rose 5.4% in the first half of 2026. (Heathrow (Jan-Jun 2026 results), Jul 2026)
• Almost 1.4 million transfer passengers used Heathrow in September 2026. (Heathrow (Sep 2026 traffic), Oct 2026)
• In the CAA's survey, 18% of Heathrow passengers travelled on business in 2025, against 25% in 2019. (CAA (passenger survey 2025), 2026)
• Half of Heathrow's passengers in 2025 lived outside the UK, against 58% in 2019. (CAA (passenger survey 2025), 2026)

The CAA's connecting shares are survey estimates of passengers changing planes, weighted to traffic. They are different from the CAA's transit count, which covers passengers who stay on board a through flight. Heathrow's transfer growth figures for 2026 are its own and come after the survey year.

Which airlines fly from Heathrow?

UK airlines carry about half of Heathrow's passengers, and the rest fly with airlines from the EU and the rest of the world. Heathrow says many more airlines want to fly there than it has room for.

• UK airlines 44.07m
• Non-UK, non-EU airlines 28.37m
• EU airlines 11.99m

• UK airlines carried 44,068,911 passengers on scheduled services at Heathrow in 2025, about 52% of the total, calculated from CAA figures. This counts every UK airline, not British Airways alone. (CAA (passengers by airline nationality), Feb 2026)
• Airlines from outside the UK and EU carried 28,372,282 scheduled passengers and EU airlines 11,992,688; charter passengers numbered under 30,000. (CAA (passengers by airline nationality), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow's annual report says 81 airlines and 7 principal ground handlers operated at the airport in 2025. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow served over 100 long-haul routes in summer 2026, 68 of them unique to the UK, and says 40 airlines are queueing to join or to get more slots. (Heathrow (Jan-Sep 2026 results), Oct 2026)
• Heathrow says it lost its place as the world's most connected airport to Istanbul in 2026, on a ranking its release does not name. (Heathrow (Jan-Sep 2026 results), Oct 2026)
• New airlines ITA Airways, Alaska Airlines and Riyadh Air carried more than 136,000 passengers at Heathrow in July 2026. (Heathrow (Jul 2026 traffic), Aug 2026)
• Two new airlines, Xiamen Airlines and beOnd, and six new routes start in winter 2026-27, including British Airways to Melbourne via Kuala Lumpur daily from 9 January 2027, British Airways to San Jose in Costa Rica and Virgin Atlantic to Phuket. (Heathrow (winter 2026-27 routes), Oct 2026)

The CAA groups passengers by the nationality of the airline. UK airlines include British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and others, so the UK share is not British Airways' share, and no British Airways share is given here. New routes are schedule announcements, not traffic.

How many flights does Heathrow handle, and what is the cap?

Heathrow runs close to a planning limit on its commercial flights each year, and has done for many years outside the pandemic. Its flight numbers barely move, so growth in passengers has to come from bigger and fuller planes.

View data table

Aircraft movements at Heathrow each year, in thousands, on CAA figures.

Period	Value
2015	474.1k
2016	475.0k
2017	475.8k
2018	477.6k
2019	478.1k
2020	204.7k
2021	195.3k
2022	380.3k
2023	456.6k
2024	476.1k
2025	480.0k

• Heathrow is limited to 480,000 air transport movements a year under a Terminal 5 planning condition in force since 1 April 2008. (ACL (Heathrow local rule 3), Mar 2026)
• The cap runs by planning year, April to March; if Heathrow goes over it, the next year's limit is cut by twice the overrun. (ACL (Heathrow local rule 3), Mar 2026)
• The government's draft expansion policy says Heathrow has been at or near full capacity for over 20 years. (DfT (draft Heathrow Expansion NPS), Jun 2026)
• Of Heathrow's 2025 aircraft movements, 477,917 were air transport movements, 1,453 were positioning flights and 310 were private flights. (CAA (aircraft movements 2025), Feb 2026)
• Aircraft movements were 478,059 in 2019, fell to 204,730 in 2020 and 195,336 in 2021, and were back to 476,119 by 2024. (CAA (aircraft movements 2015-2025), Feb 2026)
• Including flights that were scheduled and then cancelled, the CAA counts 484,340 air transport movements in 2025; 6,470 were cancelled, so 477,870 operated. (CAA (cancelled movements), Feb 2026)
• Cargo-only aircraft made 2,380 air transport movements at Heathrow in 2025, 14.5% fewer than in 2024. (CAA (air transport movements comparison), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow had 408,916 air transport movements in 1994, 459,723 in 2000 and 469,786 in 2004. (CAA (UK airport data 1994-2004), Apr 2005)
• It had 475,789 in 2007, 449,271 in 2010 and 470,708 in 2014. (CAA (UK airport data 2004-2014), May 2015)
• ACI World ranked Heathrow 17th in the world for aircraft movements in 2025, with 480,005. (ACI World (2025 rankings), Jul 2026)
• Heathrow's own count was 351,379 air transport movements from January to September 2026, down 1.9%, and 471,244 over the 12 months to September, down 1.0%. (Heathrow (Sep 2026 traffic), Oct 2026)
• Flights on Middle East routes fell 22.1% from January to September 2026, while Asia/Pacific flights rose 8.5%. (Heathrow (Sep 2026 traffic), Oct 2026)
• In April 2026 alone, Middle East air transport movements fell 43.1%. (Heathrow (Apr 2026 traffic), May 2026)
• Heathrow says it serves 230 destinations in more than 80 countries, with over 200,000 passengers on roughly 1,300 flights a day. (Heathrow (Jan-Sep 2026 results), Oct 2026)

The 480,000 cap counts air transport movements in a planning year, April to March, and leaves out some flights such as emergency and state flights. The CAA's air transport movements, its total aircraft movements, ACI World's movements and Heathrow's own count are different measures. Some CAA movement tables now include cancelled flights, so those totals are not set against the cap.

How full are Heathrow's flights?

Flights at Heathrow are large and most seats are filled. With the number of flights capped, airlines add passengers by flying bigger aircraft and selling more of their seats.

• Heathrow ran 475,596 passenger air transport movements in 2025, up 0.9%, with an average of 221.5 seats per flight, against 220.6 in 2024. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Its seat factor, the share of seats filled, was 80.2% in 2025, against 80.7% in 2024. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• In the first quarter of 2026 the seat factor was 76.6%, up from 73.8%, and flights averaged 221.0 seats; passenger flights fell 0.2% to 111.9 thousand. (Heathrow (Jan-Mar 2026 results), Apr 2026)
• From January to September 2026 Heathrow ran 349.8 thousand passenger flights, down 1.8%, with a seat factor of 81.1% and 221.7 seats per flight, against 221.4 a year earlier. (Heathrow (Jan-Sep 2026 results), Oct 2026)

Seat factor is Heathrow's measure of passengers as a share of seats. Passenger air transport movements leave out cargo-only flights, so they are lower than the total movement figures in the section above.

How much cargo goes through Heathrow?

Heathrow is the UK's largest cargo airport by a wide margin, and only a few thousand of its flights a year carry cargo alone. North America is its biggest cargo market, and Asia/Pacific has grown fastest in 2026.

View data table

Freight handled at Heathrow each year, in thousand tonnes, on CAA figures, which leave out mail.

Period	Value
2015	1,497k t
2016	1,541k t
2017	1,698k t
2018	1,700k t
2019	1,587k t
2020	1,146k t
2021	1,403k t
2022	1,351k t
2023	1,387k t
2024	1,536k t
2025	1,549k t

• East Midlands handled 382,747 tonnes of freight in 2025 and Stansted 298,567 tonnes. (CAA (freight), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow's freight peaked at 1,699,663 tonnes in 2018; it was 1,587,486 tonnes in 2019 and 1,146,310 in 2020. (CAA (freight), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow handled 962,736 tonnes of freight in 1994 and 1,306,907 tonnes in 2000. (CAA (UK airport data 1994-2004), Apr 2005)
• Heathrow handled 42,937 tonnes of mail in 2025, less than half the 94,975 tonnes of 2015. (CAA (mail), Feb 2026)
• ACI World ranked Heathrow 20th in the world for cargo in 2025, with 1,591,964 tonnes of freight and mail. (ACI World (2025 rankings), Jul 2026)
• Heathrow's own count of cargo, including mail, was 1,193,657 tonnes from January to September 2026, up 1.6%. (Heathrow (Sep 2026 traffic), Oct 2026)
• North America was the largest cargo market in that period, with 498,235 tonnes, up 3.1%; Asia/Pacific grew 10.7% to 339,683 tonnes and the Middle East fell 13.4% to 163,028 tonnes. (Heathrow (Sep 2026 traffic), Oct 2026)
• Cargo in the first quarter of 2026 was 388 thousand tonnes, down 1.0%. (Heathrow (Jan-Mar 2026 results), Apr 2026)
• Cargo rose nearly 1% in the first half of 2026. (Heathrow (Jan-Jun 2026 results), Jul 2026)

The CAA's freight figures leave out mail; ACI World and Heathrow count freight and mail together, so their totals are higher. On our addition, the CAA's 2025 freight and mail figures together equal ACI World's total. The cargo-only flight count is in the section on flights.

Are Heathrow flights on time?

Heathrow's punctuality recovered in 2025 to about its level before the pandemic, after three poor years. On EUROCONTROL's figures it had the best departure punctuality of Europe's big hubs in 2025.

View data table

Average delay per flight at Heathrow, in minutes, on the CAA's measure; 2020 is left out. Each year comes from the release for that year; the link is to the latest one.

Period	Value
2018	12.9 min
2019	12.6 min
2021	10.7 min
2022	20.4 min
2023	19.7 min
2024	18.0 min
2025	12.8 min

• The average delay at Heathrow was 12.8 minutes in 2025, down from 18.0 in 2024, and 1.32% of its 481,959 flights were cancelled, against 1.72%. (CAA (punctuality 2025), Mar 2026)
• In August 2026, 73.79% of Heathrow flights were on time, against 64.81% across all UK airports the CAA reports, 58.21% at Gatwick and 52.43% at Manchester. (CAA (punctuality Aug 2026), Oct 2026)
• In 2019 the average delay was 12.6 minutes and 0.81% of flights were cancelled; in 2018, 76.19% of flights were on time. (CAA (punctuality 2019), 2019)
• In 2022 the average delay was 20.4 minutes and 1.71% of flights were cancelled; in 2021, when traffic was far below normal, 80.05% of flights were on time. (CAA (punctuality 2022), 2022)
• In 2023 the average delay was 19.7 minutes and 2.06% of flights were cancelled. (CAA (punctuality 2023), 2023)
• EUROCONTROL measured Heathrow's arrival punctuality at 79.4% in 2025, up 10.3 points on 2024, and its departure punctuality at 78.3%. (EUROCONTROL (Performance Review Report 2025), Mar 2026)
• On the same measure, departure punctuality was 64.6% at Paris-CDG, 65.2% at Amsterdam and 67.0% at Frankfurt. (EUROCONTROL (Performance Review Report 2025), Mar 2026)
• On Heathrow's own measures, arrival punctuality was 78.5% in 2025, up from 68.0%, and departure punctuality 77.1%, up from 69.0%. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• From January to September 2026 Heathrow measured arrival punctuality at 78.4% and departure punctuality at 78.1%, against 79.7% and 78.2% a year earlier. (Heathrow (Jan-Sep 2026 results), Oct 2026)
• Heathrow says over 4.2 million more passengers flew on time in 2025 than in 2024. (Heathrow (2025 results), Feb 2026)

The CAA counts arrivals and departures together, scheduled and charter, as on time if early or up to 15 minutes late. EUROCONTROL measures arrivals and departures separately, and Heathrow uses its own definitions, so the three sets of figures are not compared with each other. 2021 looks good because traffic was a fraction of normal.

How big are Heathrow's terminals, and how do passengers rate them?

Heathrow has four terminals, and Terminal 5 is far larger than the others. Passenger scores and security queues improved in 2025 and again in 2026.

1. 1 Terminal 5 (2008) 353,020
2. 2 Terminal 4 (1986) 105,481
3. 3 Terminal 3 (1961) 98,962
4. 4 Terminal 2 (2014) 40,000

• Terminal 5 opened in 2008 and measures 353,020 square metres; Terminal 4 opened in 1986 and measures 105,481 square metres. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Terminal 3 opened in 1961 and measures 98,962 square metres, and Terminal 2, the Queen's Terminal, opened in 2014 and is listed at 40,000 square metres. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow has about 58,600 square metres of retail space. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow scored 4.05 out of 5 in ACI's Airport Service Quality survey in 2025, up from 3.98; 97.3% of passengers waited under five minutes at security, up from 92.6%, and 98.8% of bags made their connection. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• From January to September 2026 the score was 4.10, 98.5% of passengers waited under five minutes at security and 98.4% of bags made their connection. (Heathrow (Jan-Sep 2026 results), Oct 2026)
• Passengers in the CAA's survey gave Heathrow an average rating of 8.53 in 2025, against 8.55 in 2019 and 8.42 in 2024. (CAA (passenger survey 2025), 2026)
• Heathrow says it was the first major hub in the world to fully install the latest security scanners, completing a £1 billion investment programme. (Heathrow (Jan-Jun 2026 results), Jul 2026)

Heathrow's annual report gives no passenger split by terminal, so none is shown. The service score, security and baggage figures are Heathrow's own measures; the CAA rating comes from its departing passenger survey, whose summary does not state the scale.

How much does Heathrow earn, and what do airlines pay?

Most of Heathrow's revenue comes from the charges airlines pay, which the CAA caps. Charges fell under the current price control, so revenue grew only a little in 2025 and slipped in 2026, while debt rose.

• Aeronautical £2,258m
• Retail £791m
• Other £574m

• Aeronautical revenue was £2,258m in 2025, up 1.3%, retail £791m, up 2.5%, and other revenue £574m, up 2.9%. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Passenger charges brought in £1,311m, movement charges £837m and aircraft parking charges £110m. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Retail concessions earned £293m, car parking £197m, catering £96m and Heathrow Express £93m. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Adjusted EBITDA was flat at £2,034m in 2025, and profit before tax fell 37.3% to £575m. (Heathrow (2025 results), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow paid £550m in dividends in 2025, the first in five years, and its Regulatory Asset Base rose 4.1% to £21,263m. (Heathrow (2025 results), Feb 2026)
• Net debt at Heathrow (SP) Limited was £15,706m at the end of 2025, up 6.9%, and at Heathrow Finance plc £17,622m. (Heathrow (2025 results), Feb 2026)
• Revenue from January to September 2026 was £2,684m, down 0.7%, with aeronautical revenue down 3.9% to £1,620m and other revenue up 9.8% to £472m. (Heathrow (Jan-Sep 2026 results), Oct 2026)
• Adjusted operating costs rose 6.2% to £1,243m in that period and adjusted EBITDA fell 6.0% to £1,441m; a £200m dividend was paid in October 2026. (Heathrow (Jan-Sep 2026 results), Oct 2026)
• At 30 September 2026 net debt was £16,459m at Heathrow (SP) Limited and £18,163m at Heathrow Finance plc, and the Regulatory Asset Base was £21,956m. (Heathrow (Jan-Sep 2026 results), Oct 2026)
• Profit before tax was £447m in the first half of 2026, against £203m a year earlier, on revenue of £1,729m. (Heathrow (Jan-Jun 2026 results), Jul 2026)
• Heathrow planned to invest over £1.3 billion in 2026. (Heathrow (Jan-Mar 2026 results), Apr 2026)
• After a CMA appeal, the CAA capped Heathrow's charges at an estimated £23.73 per passenger in 2025 and £23.71 in 2026, in cash terms. (CAA (H7 decision), Jul 2024)
• The CAA's proposed mid-point of £28.80 a passenger for 2027 to 2031 compares with an average of £28.40 under the current control, both in 2024 prices; it is about 16% below Heathrow's forecast and 25% above the airlines' proposal. (CAA (H8 initial proposals), Mar 2026)

Figures are for Heathrow (SP) Limited unless Heathrow Finance plc is named; the two group levels carry different debt. The H7 caps are in cash terms, while the H8 figures are CAA proposals in 2024 prices, so they are not compared directly. Heathrow said in July 2026 that the next H8 decision was due in November 2026.

Will Heathrow get a third runway?

The government supports a third runway at Heathrow and published draft planning policy for it in June 2026, but no planning consent has been granted. The figures below are proposals from the promoters or estimates in draft policy.

1. 1 Runway and airfield £21bn
2. 2 Modernising the current airport £15bn
3. 3 Terminal and stands (T5X) £12bn

• Heathrow's August 2025 proposal puts the runway and airfield at £21bn, up from £14bn in 2018, terminal and stand capacity (T5X) at £12bn and modernising the current airport at £15bn, all privately financed. (Heathrow (third runway proposal), Aug 2025)
• The draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement covers a north-west runway up to 3,500m long, able to enable at least 260,000 more air transport movements a year. (DfT (draft Heathrow Expansion NPS), Jun 2026)
• The government consulted on the draft policy from 18 June to 1 September 2026, said an expanded Heathrow would deliver up to £42 billion in benefits to the UK, and is aiming for a final planning decision in 2029. (DfT (expansion consultation, Jun 2026), Jun 2026)
• The draft policy records that the rival Heathrow West scheme planned to apply for development consent by the end of 2027 for a decision by July 2029, and that Heathrow Airport Ltd aimed to apply by late 2027. (DfT (draft Heathrow Expansion NPS), Jun 2026)
• The government asked promoters how they would deliver an operational third runway by 2035, and forecasts that London's airports as a whole will be full by the mid to late 2040s. (DfT (draft Heathrow Expansion NPS), Jun 2026)
• Heathrow says a third runway would add 50% more capacity. (Heathrow (expansion jobs, UK), Sep 2026)
• In polling Heathrow commissioned of more than 9,000 residents in nine local boroughs in London, Surrey and Berkshire, 68% supported a third runway. (Heathrow (Sep 2026 traffic), Oct 2026)

The 260,000 extra movements and the planning timetable come from draft government policy, which was before Parliament for scrutiny from 22 June to 26 November 2026; 2035 is a date the government asked promoters about, not a commitment. Heathrow's cost and capacity figures are its own proposal. The poll was commissioned by Heathrow, and its release does not name the pollster.

How do passengers get to Heathrow?

Most passengers reach Heathrow by taxi, car or the Tube, and public transport use has risen since 2019. Two surveys measure public transport use in different ways, so they give different shares.

1. 1 Taxi, minicab or Uber 31.2%
2. 2 Tube or metro 27.2%
3. 3 Private car 24.7%
4. 4 Bus or coach 10.2%
5. 5 Rail 4.4%
6. 6 Hire car 1.8%

• In the CAA's 2025 survey, 31.2% of Heathrow passengers made the last part of their journey by taxi, minicab or Uber, 27.2% by Tube or metro and 24.7% by private car. (CAA (passenger survey 2025, surface access), 2026)
• Bus or coach accounted for 10.2%, rail 4.4% and hire car 1.8%. (CAA (passenger survey 2025, surface access), 2026)
• The CAA's survey puts public transport's share at 42% in 2025, against 40% in 2019. (CAA (passenger survey 2025), 2026)
• Heathrow's own departing-passenger survey found 46.3% of passengers used public transport in 2025, up from 41.29% in 2019, meeting its target of at least 45% by 2026. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• 10.5 million people in the UK live within 1.5 hours of Heathrow by public transport with at most one change, and 21.3 million within 3 hours, up from 6.8 million and 18.6 million in 2019. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• 52.18% of Heathrow workers drove to work alone in Heathrow's 2024 colleague survey, inside its 2026 ceiling of 57%. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• TfL estimates 12.91 million entries and exits a year at the Elizabeth line's Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 station in 2025, 9.66 million at Terminal 5 and 4.42 million at Terminal 4. (TfL (station counts 2025), Jul 2026)
• Heathrow's Piccadilly line stations had 5.38 million entries and exits at Terminals 1-2-3, 3.78 million at Terminal 5 and 1.57 million at Terminal 4 in 2025. (TfL (station counts 2025), Jul 2026)
• In 2019 the same Piccadilly line stations had 7.88 million, 4.48 million and 2.13 million entries and exits. (TfL (station counts 2019), May 2020)
• The draft expansion policy would require at least 50% of passengers to use public transport once terminal capacity reaches 116 million a year, and at least 55% at 130 million or more. (DfT (draft Heathrow Expansion NPS), Jun 2026)

The CAA's survey covers passengers starting or ending their journey at Heathrow and records the last mode they used; Heathrow's 46.3% comes from its own survey with its own definition, so the two shares are not compared. The CAA table does not say which mode the Elizabeth line is counted under. TfL's counts are annualised from autumn days, include airport workers, and were made with different methods in 2019 and 2025.

How much noise and carbon does Heathrow produce?

Fewer people are exposed to Heathrow's aircraft noise than in 2019, and nights without late flights have become more common. Almost all of Heathrow's carbon footprint comes from aircraft in flight, and those emissions are only a little below 2019.

View data table

Heathrow's in-the-air emissions from flights departing the airport, in million tonnes of CO2e, from its sustainability data book.

Period	Value
2019	19.99m t
2022	14.26m t
2023	17.95m t
2024	18.51m t
2025	18.57m t

• Heathrow received 66,786 noise complaints and enquiries from 1,385 people in 2024, and ten people made 86% of the complaints in 2025. (Heathrow (noise report 2025), Feb 2026)
• 561,600 people were exposed to Heathrow aircraft noise above 55 dB Lden in 2024, against 664,300 in 2019 and 508,300 in 2023. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• 219,900 people were exposed to night noise above 50 dB Lnight in 2024, against 228,500 in 2019; compared with 2019, 17% fewer people were likely to be highly annoyed and 8% fewer highly sleep disturbed. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• There were 207 nights with no flights between 23:30 and 04:30 in 2025, against 119 in 2019, and late departures after 23:30 without dispensation fell to 123 from 257. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• 95.13% of arriving flights used a continuous descent approach in 2025, and 87.06% of aircraft met the ICAO Chapter 14 noise standard. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• Emissions from aircraft in the air were 95.6% of Heathrow's carbon footprint in 2025. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• Those in-the-air emissions were 18,573,024 tonnes of CO2e in 2025, 7% below 2019's 19,993,153 tonnes; the 2030 target is 17,004,645 tonnes. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• On-the-ground emissions were 855,207 tonnes in 2025, 18% below 2019's 1,047,563 tonnes, against a 2030 target of 554,301 tonnes; supply chain emissions are tracking 16% above 2019. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• Heathrow's Scope 1 emissions, from its own sources, were 26,681 tonnes of CO2e in 2025, against 26,998 in 2019, and its Scope 3 emissions were 19,401,547 tonnes. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• Emissions per passenger across all scopes were 231.5 kg of CO2e in 2025, down from 260.0 kg in 2019; on-the-ground emissions were 10.1 kg per passenger, down from 12.9 kg. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• Airside NOx emissions were 4,884 tonnes in 2024, against 4,852 in 2019, and 62% of aircraft movements were by CAEP/8-standard or newer aircraft, up from 35.4%. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• 38% of Heathrow's own airport vehicles and 24% of other Team Heathrow vehicles were zero emission in 2025, and an airside ultra-low emission zone started on 1 January 2026. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• Heathrow generated 21,361 tonnes of operational waste in 2025, 49% of it recycled. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• Emissions from airport vehicles fell a further 47% year on year in 2025. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow aims for sustainable aviation fuel to make up 5.6% of fuel used at the airport in 2026, 2 points above the UK mandate. (Heathrow (2025 results), Feb 2026)

Heathrow's noise report counts complaints and enquiries together; its sustainability data book gives a slightly different count, so only the noise report is used. Noise contours are modelled by the CAA's research department, and 2025 contours were not yet out. Emissions follow the GHG Protocol: Scope 1 and 2 are Heathrow's own, Scope 3 includes aircraft, and savings from sustainable aviation fuel are not yet counted in the footprint. The fuel figure is a target.

How many jobs and how much trade does Heathrow support?

Heathrow is one of the UK's largest workplaces, though only a small share of the people who work there are employed by the airport company. Estimates of the jobs from expansion and of the trade through Heathrow vary with who made them and what they count.

• Heathrow (SP) employed a monthly average of 7,925 people in 2025, down from 8,115 in 2024, 136 of them at Heathrow Express. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• Heathrow's Employment and Skills Academy brokered 1,436 career opportunities in 2025 and 9,136 since 2022. (Heathrow (sustainability data 2025), Mar 2026)
• Heathrow says expansion would support over 108,000 jobs across every nation and region of the UK. (Heathrow (expansion jobs, UK), Sep 2026)
• It also says expansion would bring 5,000 apprenticeships, add £17 billion a year to the economy by 2050 and offer the chance of £150 billion more trade a year through the airport. (Heathrow (Jan-Sep 2026 results), Oct 2026)
• Heathrow says a third runway would support at least 50,000 jobs in the local area by 2055: 33,000 in its nine local boroughs plus at least 17,500 at the peak of construction. (Heathrow (expansion jobs, local), Oct 2026)
• The government's draft policy expects the north-west runway scheme to generate up to 61,000 additional jobs in the local area by 2055. (DfT (draft Heathrow Expansion NPS), Jun 2026)
• Heathrow says 1.6 million tonnes of cargo valued at £294 billion passed through it in 2025, against £215 billion in 2024, making it the UK's largest port by value. (Heathrow (Annual Report 2025), Feb 2026)
• The government's draft policy puts the imports and exports through Heathrow in 2024 at around £216 billion, 72% of the value of goods passing through UK airports and 23% of all UK goods trade. (DfT (draft Heathrow Expansion NPS), Jun 2026)
• The same document says Heathrow handled 60% of all freight at UK airports by tonnage in 2024, four times more than any other UK airport. (DfT (draft Heathrow Expansion NPS), Jun 2026)

Heathrow's 108,000 is its national estimate of jobs from expansion; the government's 61,000 and Heathrow's 50,000 are local estimates for 2055. They come from different producers, measure different things and are not added or compared. Heathrow's cargo values and the government's goods figure are also on different bases, and Heathrow's report does not explain the rise from 2024 to 2025.

Methodology and sources

Figures come from the UK Civil Aviation Authority's airport, punctuality and passenger survey data, the Department for Transport's draft expansion policy, the slot coordinator ACL, ACI World, ACI EUROPE, IATA, EUROCONTROL, Turkey's DHMI, TfL, and Heathrow's own traffic releases, monthly statistics, results, annual report, sustainability data book and noise report. Each figure links to the body that produced it, with the date. CAA terminal passengers, Heathrow's own counts and ACI's totals are kept apart, as are freight with and without mail, the three punctuality measures, the two public transport surveys, CAA and IATA route figures, and national and local job estimates. Where we sorted or worked out a figure from a producer's data, the text says so. Forecasts, proposals and draft policy are labelled with who made them and when. The page is reviewed monthly and the date is shown at the top.

• ACI EUROPE (2025 traffic report) · Feb 2026
• ACI EUROPE (summer 2026 traffic) · Sep 2026
• ACI World (2024 rankings) · Apr 2025
• ACI World (2025 international ranking) · Apr 2026
• ACI World (2025 rankings) · Jul 2026
• ACL (Heathrow local rule 3) · Mar 2026
• CAA (air transport movements comparison) · Feb 2026
• CAA (aircraft movements 2015-2025) · Feb 2026
• CAA (aircraft movements 2025) · Feb 2026
• CAA (cancelled movements) · Feb 2026
• CAA (domestic passengers) · Feb 2026
• CAA (domestic routes) · Feb 2026
• CAA (freight) · Feb 2026
• CAA (H7 decision) · Jul 2024
• CAA (H8 initial proposals) · Mar 2026
• CAA (international passengers) · Feb 2026
• CAA (international routes) · Feb 2026
• CAA (mail) · Feb 2026
• CAA (passenger survey 2025, passenger types) · 2026
• CAA (passenger survey 2025, surface access) · 2026
• CAA (passenger survey 2025) · 2026
• CAA (passengers by airline nationality) · Feb 2026
• CAA (punctuality 2019) · 2019
• CAA (punctuality 2022) · 2022
• CAA (punctuality 2023) · 2023
• CAA (punctuality 2025) · Mar 2026
• CAA (punctuality Aug 2026) · Oct 2026
• CAA (size of UK airports) · Feb 2026
• CAA (terminal and transit passengers) · Feb 2026
• CAA (terminal passengers 2015-2025) · Feb 2026
• CAA (UK airport data 1994-2004) · Apr 2005
• CAA (UK airport data 2004-2014) · May 2015
• DfT (draft Heathrow Expansion NPS) · Jun 2026
• DfT (expansion consultation, Jun 2026) · Jun 2026
• DHMI (Turkey, 2025) · Jan 2026
• DHMI (Turkey, Jan-Sep 2026) · Oct 2026
• EUROCONTROL (Performance Review Report 2025) · Mar 2026
• Heathrow (2025 results) · Feb 2026
• Heathrow (Annual Report 2025) · Feb 2026
• Heathrow (Apr 2026 traffic) · May 2026
• Heathrow (Aug 2026 traffic) · Sep 2026
• Heathrow (domestic routes) · Oct 2026
• Heathrow (expansion jobs, local) · Oct 2026
• Heathrow (expansion jobs, UK) · Sep 2026
• Heathrow (Jan-Jun 2026 results) · Jul 2026
• Heathrow (Jan-Mar 2026 results) · Apr 2026
• Heathrow (Jan-Sep 2026 results) · Oct 2026
• Heathrow (Jul 2026 traffic) · Aug 2026
• Heathrow (Jun 2026 traffic) · Jul 2026
• Heathrow (May 2026 traffic) · Jun 2026
• Heathrow (monthly traffic statistics) · Oct 2026
• Heathrow (noise report 2025) · Feb 2026
• Heathrow (Sep 2026 traffic) · Oct 2026
• Heathrow (sustainability data 2025) · Mar 2026
• Heathrow (third runway proposal) · Aug 2025
• Heathrow (winter 2026-27 routes) · Oct 2026
• IATA (World Air Transport Statistics 2025) · Jul 2026
• TfL (station counts 2019) · May 2020
• TfL (station counts 2025) · Jul 2026