Page last updated: 8 October 2025
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is the primary international entry point to England’s capital city. The airport is spread across 1,227 hectares in the borough of Hillingdon and connects travelers to destinations across six continents.
How many passengers does London Heathrow Airport serve each year?
Over 80 million passengers travel through London Heathrow Airport (LHR) each year.
- In 2024, LHR handled 83.86 million passengers, setting a new all-time record.
- Annual passenger traffic reached 79.15 million in 2023.
- Before the pandemic, 80.88 million passengers travelled through LHR in 2019, which dropped to 22.11 million in 2020 and 19.39 million in 2021.
How many passengers passed through London Heathrow Airport in 2024?
- Approximately 83.86 million passengers used LHR in 2024. Of these, 78.9 million were international (94%) and 4.95 million were domestic (6%).
How many passengers passed through London Heathrow Airport in 2023?
- About 79.15 million passengers traveled through LHR in 2023, with 74.45 million international (94%) and 4.7 million domestic (6%).
How large is London Heathrow Airport?
London Heathrow Airport covers approximately 1,227 hectares (3,030 acres) of land in West London.
- Runways: 2 parallel runways (09L/27R and 09R/27L), operating at near 98% capacity
- Terminals: 4 main terminals (2, 3, 4, and 5) with comprehensive facilities
- Destinations: Direct links to 214 destinations across 84 countries
Aircraft Operations at London Heathrow Airport
Over 470,000 aircraft operations (including takeoffs and landings) occur at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) each year.
- In 2024, LHR handled approximately 473,965 operations. This was 0.4% below the 2019 pre-pandemic level.
- Annual aircraft operations reached 454,089 in 2023
- 475,861 operations occurred at LHR in 2019, which dropped to 200,905 in 2020 and 185,000 in 2021 during the pandemic.
Aircraft Operations by Type
- Air Carrier flights dominated with 473,415 operations in 2024 (99.8% of total activity).
- Air Taxi/Charter recorded 400 operations (0.08%), while General Aviation accounted for 100 operations (0.02%), and Military aircraft accounted for only 50 operations (0.01%).
| London Heathrow Airport Aircraft Operations | ||||||
| Operations Type | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Air Carrier | 475,161 | 200,380 | 184,480 | 216,370 | 453,489 | 473,415 |
| Air Taxi/Charter | 550 | 450 | 440 | 500 | 450 | 400 |
| General Aviation | 100 | 50 | 60 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Military | 50 | 25 | 20 | 30 | 50 | 50 |
| Total Operations | 475,861 | 200,905 | 185,000 | 217,000 | 454,089 | 473,965 |
How much revenue does London Heathrow Airport generate each year?
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) has generated between £3 billion and £4 billion in recent years (except pandemic).
- In 2024, LHR generated approximately £3.8 billion in revenue (3% growth YoY).
- Annual revenue reached £3.69 billion in 2023
- Before the pandemic, £3.1 billion in revenue was generated in 2019, which dropped to approximately £1.2 billion in 2020 and similar levels in 2021.
London Heathrow Airport Revenue in 2024
Approximately £3.8 billion in revenue was generated by London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in 2024.
- LHR generated £2.1 billion from aeronautical revenue (55%) and £1.7 billion from non-aeronautical revenue (45%) of total airport revenue in 2024.
London Heathrow Airport Revenue in 2023
Approximately £3.69 billion in revenue was generated by London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in 2023.
- LHR generated £2.09 billion from aeronautical revenue (57%) and £1.6 billion from non-aeronautical revenue (43%) of total airport revenue in 2023.
Which is the busiest terminal at London Heathrow Airport?
Terminal 5 was the busiest terminal in 2024 at London Heathrow Airport (35% of total airport traffic).
London Heathrow Airport Terminals by Passenger Volume (2024)
- Terminal 5: 29.31 million passengers (British Airways hub)
- Terminal 2: 25.12 million passengers (Star Alliance and various carriers)
- Terminal 3: 20.91 million passengers (Oneworld and other airlines)
- Terminal 4: 8.52 million passengers (SkyTeam and independent carriers)
Which airlines carry the most passengers at London Heathrow Airport?
British Airways carried the most passengers (50% market share) at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in 2024.
Market Share by Airline at LHR (2024)
- British Airways: 50% (41.9 million passengers)
- Virgin Atlantic: 5% (4.2 million passengers)
- American Airlines: 3% (2.5 million passengers)
- Lufthansa: 3% (2.6 million passengers)
- United Airlines: 3% (2.5 million passengers)
- Emirates: 2% (1.7 million passengers)
- Other carriers: 34% (28.5 million passengers)
What are the busiest routes at London Heathrow Airport?
London Heathrow Airport’s busiest domestic route was Heathrow to Edinburgh, and the busiest international route was Heathrow to New York JFK in 2024.
Top Domestic Routes by Passengers (2024)
- LHR – Edinburgh (EDI): 1.15 million passengers
- LHR – Glasgow (GLA): 950,000 passengers
- LHR – Manchester (MAN): 630,000 passengers
- LHR – Belfast City (BHD): 590,000 passengers
- LHR – Aberdeen (ABZ): 570,000 passengers
Top International Routes by Passengers (2024)
- LHR – New York JFK (JFK): 3.24 million passengers
- LHR – Dubai (DXB): 2.86 million passengers
- LHR – Doha (DOH): 2.01 million passengers
- LHR – Dublin (DUB): 1.90 million passengers
- LHR – Los Angeles (LAX): 1.68 million passengers
Monthly Trends in Passenger Traffic at London Heathrow Airport
December was the busiest month with approximately 7.9 million passengers in 2024, followed by July with 7.8 million and August with 7.6 million.
London Travel Resources
How much cargo moves through London Heathrow Airport each year?
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) handles approximately 1.5 million metric tons of cargo annually.
- In 2024, the airport processed 1.54 million metric tons of cargo, up 11% YoY and a return to pre-pandemic levels.
- LHR Airport had handled 1.59 million metric tons in 2019. This dropped to 1.15 million metric tons in 2020 during pandemic lows.
How reliable is London Heathrow Airport?
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) achieved an approximately 80% on-time departure rate in 2024.
- Average delay (2024): 12 minutes per departure, improved from 15 minutes in 2023
- Cancellations (2024): 0.5% of scheduled flights, improved from 1.0% in 2023
How does London Heathrow Airport rank globally?
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) ranks as the 1st busiest airport in the UK and 5th busiest globally by passenger traffic in 2024.
- UK ranking: 1st in the UK, ahead of London Gatwick (LGW)
- European ranking: 1st busiest airport in Europe by passenger volume
- Global connectivity ranking: World’s most internationally connected airport with 214 destinations
What is London Heathrow Airport’s economic impact?
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) contributes over £6 billion annually to the UK economy. It supports about 72,000 jobs directly on-site and 114,000 jobs across the supply chain
The airport also facilitates about £188 billion worth of trade annually.
How do I get to London Heathrow Airport from central London?
Multiple transport options connect central London to Heathrow Airport:
- Heathrow Express: 15 minutes from London Paddington (fastest option)
- Elizabeth Line (Crossrail): Direct service from central London stations
- Piccadilly Line: Underground service to all terminals (45-60 minutes)
- Bus/Coach: National Express and local buses available
- Taxi/Uber: 45-60 minutes, depending on traffic and location
Other Airport Statistics
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Europe Travel Statistics Resources
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- Georgia Statistics
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