Heathrow Airport strikes gold with record August passenger numbers

Team GB's triumphant Olympians arriving back home this summer were among a record 7.3 million passengers passing through Heathrow’s terminals last month, Europe’s biggest airport has said.

The London airport said this was 0.1% higher than in the same month last year.

Travellers flying to and from Latin America — where Rio de Janeiro hosted the Games — jumped 5.8% to 115,000.

Domestic flights and travel in Europe saw the bulk of journeys, while commercial flights taking cargo to the Middle East and East Asia also rose.

Chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: “Now is the time to back the winners in our economy and expand Britain’s biggest and most successful port, Heathrow.”