Europe’s most punctual hub airport handles busiest October ever as half-term drives surge in European travel
Heathrow Airport handled a record 7.3 million passengers in October, marking its busiest October ever, as half-term holiday demand drove a surge in travel to European cities including Brussels, Lyon, Marseille, and Vienna.
The achievement comes as Heathrow maintained its position as the most punctual hub airport in Europe, serving more passengers on time than any other competitor despite the increased volume.
“The numbers speak for themselves – working with airlines, Heathrow is serving more passengers on time than any other European hub,” said Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye. “We have the skills and knowledge to deliver a world-class airport today, and we are ready and waiting to use this to expand the UK’s gateway to growth.”
Investment Plans and Budget Concerns
The strong performance underscores Heathrow’s readiness for expansion, with the airport planning to step up investment to £2 billion per year from 2027. This week, Heathrow is responding to the Government’s request for further information about its expansion proposals, which include a £33 billion expansion alongside a £15 billion programme of modernization to the existing airport.
However, the airport is urging the Treasury to address what it calls a “punitive revaluation” in business rates for airports ahead of the upcoming budget. Heathrow faces what it describes as an “eye-watering multiple-fold increase” from the Valuation Office Agency that could drive unacceptable costs for airlines and potentially deter private investors.
“Left unchecked, these would drive unacceptable costs for airlines and could deter private investors who are ready to help UK aviation to grow and improve services, with billions in UK supply chain spend at stake,” the airport warned.
Strong Growth Across Most Markets
The October traffic figures showed growth across most regions, with EU traffic up 2.9% to 2.6 million passengers, while Asia/Pacific travel grew 4.7% to 901,000 passengers. Africa saw the strongest growth at 7.8%, reaching 292,000 passengers.
North America remained Heathrow’s largest market with 1.8 million passengers, though this represented a slight 0.3% decline compared to the previous year. UK domestic traffic rose 2.5% to 403,000 passengers.
For the year to date (January to October 2025), Heathrow has handled 70.6 million passengers, up 0.5% compared to the same period in 2024. Over the rolling twelve-month period, the airport served 84.2 million passengers, an increase of 1.3%.
Air Movements and Cargo Operations
The airport handled 41,227 air transport movements in October, up 0.6% year-on-year, bringing the year-to-date total to 399,245 movements.
Cargo operations saw mixed results, with total cargo volumes declining 5.1% in October to 137,212 metric tonnes. However, for the year to date, cargo is up 1.1% at 1.3 million metric tonnes, driven primarily by strong North American demand, which increased 5.6%.
Expansion: The Only Option for Nationwide Growth
Heathrow maintains that its expansion is “the only option that can deliver growth for the whole country during construction and once open.” The airport’s expansion plans would create significant economic benefits both during the construction phase and through enhanced connectivity once operational.
The combination of record passenger numbers, industry-leading punctuality, and ambitious expansion plans positions Heathrow as it seeks government support for what would be one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects in the coming decades.
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