Heathrow Urges Runway Expansion After Istanbul Overtake

Heathrow has said the “case for expansion” is now “clear” after it lost its place as Europe’s busiest airport to Istanbul.

Passenger figures released on Tuesday showed Heathrow handled 7.86 million travellers through its four terminals in July. Istanbul recorded 8.15 million passengers over the same period, taking the lead for the month.

July traffic comparison

Heathrow’s total for the month was 1.5% lower than the year before. Istanbul reported a 2.3% increase in passenger numbers.

Annual rankings compiled by Airports Council International (ACI) show Heathrow was Europe’s busiest airport from 1996 until 2019. The UK airport then lost the top spot in 2020 as coronavirus travel restrictions reduced demand, before regaining the position in 2023 and keeping it since then.

Heathrow also said the war involving the United States and Israel against Iran has affected traffic. It reported that passenger numbers on Middle East routes in July fell by 20.2% compared with the same month the previous year.

Near-full capacity and third runway bid

Despite the month-on-year decline, Heathrow said it continues to run its two runways at near full capacity and is seeking government permission to build a third.

An expansion plan put forward by the airport’s owners would allow it to handle up to 150 million passengers a year. Heathrow recorded 84.46 million passengers in 2025.

In a statement, Heathrow said operating at capacity means expansion remains necessary, adding that it was overtaken by Istanbul in July as Europe’s busiest hub.

The airport said the proposed changes would help the country maintain competitiveness and support economic growth.

Consultation, timing and political concerns

Heathrow’s expansion plans have been under review by ministers. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander launched a consultation in June on the renamed Heathrow expansion national policy statement, which sets out the conditions for approval.

Rachel Reeves, then chancellor, previously said she wanted the project to move forward in the current parliament, with construction completed by 2035.

Andy Burnham, who later sacked Reeves, has raised concerns about expanding Heathrow. He said the plan would divert infrastructure investment “away from the north and traps it in London”.

Busy summer start and new airlines

Heathrow said 19 July was its busiest day of the year so far, after many schools broke up for summer. It recorded 267,000 passengers on that date.

It added that several new airlines started serving the airport last month, which it said shows “clear demand” for access. The new services include ITA Airways from Italy, Alaska Airlines from the United States and Riyadh Air from Saudi Arabia.

Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye said summer had begun “off to a flying start” and that the airport wants to go further by expanding its route network and passenger offering.

He also said that expanding Heathrow would help the UK remain home to Europe’s leading hub and continue to benefit from trade, investment and tourism associated with better connectivity.

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11 August 2026