Heathrow saw record breaking 78m passengers in 2017
A record breaking 78 million passengers travelled through Heathrow Airport in 2017, up 3.1% on last year, with passenger volumes driven by larger and fuller aircraft.
Heathrow became one of the fastest growing major European hubs for cargo, with 1.7 million metric tonnes travelling through the airport - equivalent to the weight of 134,000 London buses or 136 London Shards. Across the year, the key markets for cargo were the US, East Asia and Europe.
Heathrow’s annual noise and contour report revealed that the airport’s noise footprint was at its smallest recorded level in 11 years with 15% fewer households affected by noise, as a result of working with airlines to encourage the use of quieter aircraft. Night time jet movements also decreased by a third (32%) in 2017.
Passenger volumes continued to grow in December, with over 6.3 million passengers travelling through the airport (+2.8%). In the run up to Christmas, 248,288 passengers flew through Heathrow on the 22nd, making it the airport's busiest day of the month.
Domestic and emerging markets continued to be sources of growth, with UK travel up 6.6% and travel to Asia up 5.5% on last year. Over 143,000 metric tonnes travelled through Heathrow in December (+7.3%), as the UK economy benefited from the end-of-year peak around the world. The USA, Japan and Hong Kong were among the fastest growing markets for cargo.
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “Heathrow had its best year ever in 2017 helping to strengthen the British economy as the country seeks to redefine its role in the world. Our colleagues welcomed 78 million passengers and supported the delivery of record volumes of British trade to markets around the world. We’re looking forward to continuing to deliver for Britain in 2018 as we progress our expansion plans.”