HEATHROW PASSENGER NUMBERS FALL 2.1% IN AUGUST

Heathrow Airport recorded 7.87 million passengers across its four terminals in August, representing a 2.1% decline compared with the same month last year. The west London airport attributed the fall to operational challenges within the aviation sector. Despite the monthly decrease, Heathrow recorded its busiest single day on 2 August, when nearly 272,000 passengers passed through the airport.

Passenger numbers from the United Kingdom fell by 1.7%, the largest decline across all markets served by Heathrow, whilst EU passenger numbers dropped by 0.3%. Passengers from the Middle East declined by a fifth, which the airport linked to ongoing disruption in travel to and from the region. Heathrow maintained its position as Europe's most punctual airport, with the airport reporting that 98% of passengers waited less than five minutes at security and 98% of bags departed as planned. The airport's performance came amid broader disruption across UK aviation following a technical issue at National Air Traffic Services on Tuesday that led to over 2,000 flight cancellations.

Heathrow's chief executive Thomas Woldbye reiterated calls for expansion, stating that growth was constrained by lack of runway capacity. The airport reported that over 40 airlines were unable to secure additional slots. Chancellor John Healey confirmed on Tuesday that the Government had approved plans for a third runway at Heathrow, ending years of delay and indecision on the project.