Heathrow and Stansted see more passenger growth in April as recovery continues

Heathrow had its busiest day for flights since October 2019 last month with 1,337 aircraft landing or taking off from the airport on April 19.

The total number of passengers using the airport during the month rose 4.8% to 6.7 million, a slower rate seen than in previous months largely due to the timing of the Easter weekend which began in March.

Just over 25.2 million passenger have traveled though Heathrow so far this year up 8.2%, while the rolling 12 month total is 81.1 million, up 15.5%.

East Asian and Middle Eastern routes have seen double-digit percentage increases in passengers. A surge in passengers to Delhi and Mumbai has made these the 6th and 8th most popular destinations so far this year with New York, Dubai and Doha taking the top Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said: “It takes an extraordinary team to deliver this strong performance and I’m proud of what everyone across the airport has achieved so far this year. As we continue to grow, our focus is on making Heathrow fit for the future, delivering reliable journeys for all our customers today and getting ready for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. But to unlock our full potential to help grow the country’s economy, we need the Government to implement policies that support UK aviation’s ability to compete globally, and thus make the UK more competitive overall.”

Meanwhile London's third biggerst airport Stansted London Stansted’s record volumes of both passengers and cargo passed through the airport last month.

Stansted handled 2.48 million passengers during the month to record its busiest ever April, beating the previous high set in 2019 by more than 90,000 passengers. It was an increase of 5.5% on April 2023.

The 12-month total to the end of April stood at 28.64 million passengers, an increase of 10.8%..

Stansted’s cargo operation also experienced a record-breaking month as more than 27,000 tonnes of freight passed through the airport in April, the highest monthly total ever.

Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said: “April was another very strong month for London Stansted with both passenger and cargo numbers hitting new highs, thanks to our extensive passenger route network, the efficiency and simplicity of the airport’s operation and the global connectivity provided by our cargo carriers.

“The Easter holidays at the start of the month were particularly busy, but thanks to the dedication and teamwork shown by colleagues right across the airport, we were able to deliver a smooth airport journey for our passengers.