Heathrow sees record number of passengers for February
Heathrow welcomed 5.48 million passengers in 28 days, securing the airportÂ’s 28th consecutive record month for passenger growth (+1.7% vs February 2018).
February’s result has been boosted by London Fashion Week which showcased over 100 fashion-led businesses leading in creativity and innovation with visitors from 49 countries.
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “Heathrow is the UK’s gateway to the world and we are proud to welcome the best global talent through our front doors for events such as London Fashion Week. As the UK prepares to leave the EU, our doors will remain firmly open, connecting more of the world’s most innovative and creative talent to the best of Britain.”
North America and Africa were the most popular destinations and best performing, up 8.4% and 8.8% respectively. Additional Delta and Virgin flights to and from New York, another of the world’s fashion capitals, also assisted with the increase.
Heathrow best performing for cargo in comparison to other major European hubs. More than 128,000 metric tonnes of cargo, equivalent to an estimated 62.7 million Vogue magazines, travelled through Heathrow on the way to global destinations. Increase in aircraft traveling to Latin America helped make it the best performing market for cargo – up 17.5% on February 2018 results – with the bulk of freight traveling under passengers’ feet.
Heathrow has also announced a deal on airport charges. The new arrangement which would extend current regulatory settlement to 2021, includes an incentive for airlines to grow passenger numbers, heralding a new phase of airport and airline commercial cooperation supporting growth at Heathrow.