Heathrow Airport hit a record 7.25 million passengers this June, up 1.7% from last year, thanks to the increase in traffic from summer holidays. The month of June marks the 32nd consecutive month of growth for the airport.
Traffic to Africa has increased by 11.6% compared to last year thanks to new routes to Durban, bigger flights to Nigeria, and a higher frequency of flights to Johannesburg. North America has also seen growth (3.5%) with the arrival of new routes to Pittsburgh, Charleston, and Las Vegas.
Now, passengers flying from Heathrow also have direct services to one of China’s eight ancient capitals with the launch of Europe’s first direct route to Zhengzhou, operated by China Southern.
On the other hand, Heathrow Airport recorded more than 130,000 metric tons of cargo in the month of June, where the Middle East (+9.1%) and Latin America (up to 8.1%) are the regions with the highest percentage of growth.
As for the process of the airport’s expansion, Heathrow has taken things a step further by launching a 12-week public consultation, which reveals the master plan for one of the biggest privately funded infrastructure projects in the United Kingdom.
In terms of sustainability, it must be noted that British Airways’ fleet of short-haul aircraft topped the ‘Fly Quiet and Green’ league rankings in June, taking the top spot for the improvements implemented in its environmental strategy from January to March. In addition, Heathrow has become the world’s first Sustainable Fish Airport, ensuring that all food and beverage businesses in its terminals use supply chains that provide traceable, sustainable fish products.
In addition, 92% of passengers rated their experience and wait times in Customs as “Excellent” or “Good.” In fact, thanks to eGates, more and more passengers from the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea can enjoy a more streamlined experience in this area.
“The UK economy relies on aviation, and our new routes ensure that tourists from all over the world can get to every part of Britain this summer, as well as opening up new trading opportunities. Growth cannot be at any cost. We welcome the UK’s commitment to net zero carbon by 2050, and are working with industry partners to make sure aviation plays its part as we connect Britain to global growth”
