Heathrow, Glasgow and Southampton airports have reached historic passenger numbers this June thanks to growth in freight transport, emerging markets and the opening of new routes.
Record growth in passenger numbers in June
Heathrow Airport
Once again our airports reach historic passenger numbers. In the case of Heathrow, 6.76 million passengers pass through the airport in June, + 2.3% compared to 2016. In June, the airport has also lived the day with the highest passenger traffic in history, serving 259,917 travelers. Emerging markets continue to play a key role in long-haul flights, up to 10% in the Middle East and over 5% in East Asian passenger transport. Airlines operating these routes are making the most of their slots using larger capacity aircraft and increasing their cargo capacity. Meanwhile, regional traffic has also increased, partly due to the increase in flights to Scotland by FlyBe, serving 22,000 more passengers in June. Freight transport has also grown by 13%, especially in Latin America with 38% more cargo than in June 2016. North America maintains its position as the most important freight traffic market with June’s volume 15.8% higher compared to 2016. During this month, Heathrow Express has also celebrated a key milestone: 100 million passengers served since 1998. In addition, Heathrow has signed the agreement with the Department of Transport and Transportation of London that ensures the operation from 2019 of the new line Elizabeth Line to Terminal 5. This agreement brings the airport closer to its objective of getting 50% of passengers traveling in sustainable transport. Secretary of State Chris Grayling reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to Heathrow expansion, saying the project enjoys widespread political support. Meanwhile Heathrow continues to develop plans to improve the passenger experience, reduce the impact on local communities and project costs. Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “Our record breaking year, month and day figures show Heathrow continues to be the trade and tourist gateway to all of the UK. To keep Britain competitive, we need expansion to build more connections for British passengers and exporters and we are glad to see the Government pushing forward on the next stages of the delivery. Together we are showing the world the UK remains open for business.”Glasgow Airport
For the first time in its 51-year history, Glasgow airport registered more than one million passengers in June, an increase of 5.7% over the same period in 2016. Demand for European flights rose 16.1% thanks to increase capacity to destinations such as Berlin, Amsterdam or Dublin, among others, and the launch of new routes to Brussels, Valencia and Lisbon. This increased connectivity in Europe has also been reinforced by the launch of a new Blue Air route to the city of Iasi in Romania. International traffic grew by 10.4% and long-haul flights by 12.4% due to the strong demand for flights to North America and Dubai. Following the results obtained in June Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, says that"Our strong performance in the first half of 2017 has been driven by our efforts to enhance existing services and expand our growing network with new destinations to give even more choice to our customers. Route development continues to be a key priority in driving growth at the airport and we’re looking forward to welcoming a number of services in the second half of 2017 to exciting new destinations including Madrid, Krakow and Frankfurt”.
