Heathrow lands record Q1 performance
Heathrow achieved its 29th consecutive month of growth, welcoming a record 17.9 million passengers in Q1 2019.
Passenger satisfaction reached new highs with Terminal 5 beating international competition to be crowned the best airport terminal in the world at the annual Skytrax awards.
With its airport charges declining 2.4% to £22.13 per passenger, 82.6% of passengers said they had an “Excellent” or “Very Good” experience at Heathrow
Over 210 global destinations are now connected via a direct flight from Heathrow after the Newquay, Chengdu, Osaka, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Charleston routes launched in Q1.
Higher retail spending resulted in £679 million in overall revenues and Adjusted EBITDA increasing by 1% to £406 million. Also, Heathrow's robust financial health has enabled it to access competitively priced funding which ultimately results in lower passenger charges, demonstrated by successful returns to both the EUR and CHF markets and multiple private placements by global investors.
Heathrow is now preparing to unveil its detailed preferred masterplan for public consultation in June, as its wish to build a controversial third runway remains a possibility following the High Court rejecting a legal challenge against it earlier today.
John Holland-Kaye, Chief Executive Officer of Heathrow, said: “Twenty-nineteen is an important year for Heathrow as we put in place the building blocks that will define Britain’s global connectivity for decades to come.
"With passengers continuing to choose Heathrow in record numbers, the strong backing of global investors and a credible plan to expand responsibly, we’re ramping up for growth.”