Page last updated: 20 February 2026
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?
Close to 85 million passengers travelled through London Heathrow Airport in recent years.
- In 2025, LHR handled 84.46 million passengers, setting a new all-time record.
- Annual passenger traffic reached 83.86 million in 2024.
- Before the pandemic, 80.89 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 Heathrow Airport in 2025?
- Approximately 84.46 million passengers used LHR in 2025, up 0.7% from 83.86 million in 2024 and 4.4% above the pre-pandemic peak of 80.89 million in 2019.
How large is London Heathrow Airport?
London Heathrow Airport covers approximately 1,227 hectares 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
Note: Terminal 1 was closed in June 2015 and demolished to expand Terminal 2.
Aircraft Operations at London Heathrow Airport
Over 470,000 aircraft operations (including takeoffs and landings) now occur at London Heathrow Airport each year.
- Heathrow Airport handled 477,883 operations in 2025, up 0.83% from 473,965 in 2024.
- LHR aircraft operations reached 454,089 in 2023.
- 475,874 operations occurred at LHR in 2019, a figure that dropped to 200,831 in 2020 and 190,032 in 2021 during the pandemic.
How much revenue does LHR generate each year?
Excluding the pandemic years, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) typically generates between £3 billion and £4 billion annually.
- In 2024, LHR generated approximately £3.56 billion in revenue.
- Annual revenue reached £3.69 billion in 2023.
- Before the pandemic, £3.07 billion in revenue was generated in 2019, which dropped to approximately £1.18 billion in 2020 and £1.21 billion in 2021.
London Heathrow Airport Revenue in 2025
- Heathrow Airport generated £2.70 billion in revenue during the first nine months of 2025 (January-September), a 2% increase from £2.65 billion during the same period in 2024.
London Heathrow Airport Revenue in 2024
Heathrow Airport generated £3.56 billion in revenue in 2024.
- Revenue declined 3.5% YoY from £3.69 billion in 2023, yet remained 16% above the pre-pandemic level of £3.07 billion in 2019.
Where do passengers fly to from LHR?
North America and the EU were the two largest travel regions at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in 2025, together accounting for nearly 58% of all passenger traffic.
Passengers by Region at LHR (2025)
- EU: 33.6% (28.41 million passengers)
- North America: 24.3% (20.55 million passengers)
- Asia/Pacific: 11.9% (10.02 million passengers)
- Middle East: 10.4% (8.78 million passengers)
- Non-EU Europe: 6.6% (5.56 million passengers)
- UK: 5.4% (4.59 million passengers)
- Africa: 4% (3.39 million passengers)
- Other: 3.8% (3.16 million passengers)
Which airlines carry the most passengers at LHR?
- British Airways carried the most passengers (51% market share) at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in 2025.
What are the busiest routes at LHR?
In 2024, London Heathrow Airport’s busiest domestic route was Edinburgh (EDI), while the busiest international route was New York (JFK).
Top Domestic Routes by Passengers (2024)
- Edinburgh (EDI): 1.15 million passengers
- Glasgow (GLA): 953,371 passengers
- Manchester (MAN): 629,227 passengers
- Belfast City (BHD): 585,479 passengers
- Aberdeen (ABZ): 569,470 passengers
- Newcastle (NCL): 497,469 passengers
- Jersey (JER): 334,885 passengers
- Inverness (INV): 160,215 passengers
- Derry (LDY): 46,770 passengers
- Isle of Man (IOM): 33,797 passengers
Top International Routes by Passengers (2024)
- New York (JFK): 3.24 million passengers
- Dubai (DXB): 2.86 million passengers
- Doha (DOH): 2.01 million passengers
- Dublin (DUB): 1.90 million passengers
- Los Angeles (LAX): 1.68 million passengers
- Madrid (MAD): 1.55 million passengers
- Singapore Changi (SIN): 1.51 million passengers
- Amsterdam (AMS): 1.46 million passengers
- New Delhi (DEL): 1.44 million passengers
- Frankfurt (FRA): 1.42 million passengers
Monthly Trends in Passenger Traffic at Heathrow
August was the busiest month with 8.04 million passengers in 2025, followed by July with 7.98 million and June with 7.36 million.
London Travel Resources
How much cargo moves through LHR each year?
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) handled over 1.5 million metric tonnes of cargo annually in recent years.
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR) processed 1.55 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2025 (YoY +0.6%).
- LHR Airport handled 1.59 million metric tonnes in 2019. This dropped to 1.14 million metric tonnes in 2020 during pandemic lows.
How reliable is London Heathrow Airport?
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) achieved a 72% on-time performance rate in 2025.
- Average delay (2025): 15 minutes, improved from 19 minutes in 2024
- Cancellations (2025): 1% of scheduled flights, improved from 1.4% in 2024
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 83,400 jobs directly on-site and 105,200 jobs across the supply chain. The airport also facilitates about £198 billion worth of trade annually.
How do I get to 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
- Amsterdam Airport (AMS)
- Bordeaux Airport (BOD)
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
- Copenhagen Airport (CPH)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Dubai Airport (DXB)
- Frankfurt am Main Airport (FRA)
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Heraklion Airport (HER)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Malaga Airport (AGP)
- Madrid Airport (MAD)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT)
Europe Travel Statistics Resources
- Austria Statistics
- Belgium Statistics
- Croatia Statistics
- Denmark Statistics
- France Statistics (incl. Paris, Disneyland Paris, Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame)
- Georgia Statistics
- Germany Statistics (incl. Berlin)
- Greece Statistics (incl. Parthenon)
- Iceland Statistics
- Italy Statistics (incl. Florence, Milan, Rome, Venice)
- Netherlands Statistics (incl. Amsterdam)
- Norway Statistics
- Portugal Statistics (incl. Lisbon)
- Spain Statistics (incl. Barcelona, Madrid, Mallorca)
- Sweden Statistics
- Switzerland Statistics
- UK Statistics (incl. Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Oxford, Scotland)
