Heathrow loses Europe’s busiest airport title to Istanbul
Heathrow has been overtaken by Istanbul Airport as Europe’s busiest airport for July, with passenger figures showing the west London hub handled fewer travellers during a month affected by weaker traffic on Middle East routes.
Heathrow recorded 7.86 million passengers across its four terminals in July. Istanbul Airport, serving Turkey’s largest city, handled 8.15 million, putting it ahead by around 290,000 passengers for the month.
The figures come as Heathrow faces a combination of strong summer demand and disruption to some of its international markets. Passenger numbers on Middle East routes were 20.2% lower than a year earlier, with the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran affecting travel patterns.
Heathrow has historically been one of Europe’s dominant aviation hubs. It held the continent’s busiest-airport title every year from 1996 until 2019, before coronavirus travel restrictions dramatically altered passenger numbers. It returned to the top in 2023 and retained the position through 2025.
The latest figures also come as Heathrow continues to push for a third runway. Its existing two runways are operating close to capacity, while the airport is seeking government approval for an expansion that it says could eventually allow it to handle up to 150 million passengers annually.
Heathrow argues that the additional capacity is needed to support Britain’s international connections and economic growth. The airport has also pointed to continued demand, with several new airlines starting services during July.
The scale of summer travel remains clear. Heathrow said 19th July was its busiest day of 2026 so far, when around 267,000 passengers passed through the airport as schools began breaking up for the summer holidays.
The airport handled 84.46 million passengers during 2025, underlining the scale of the operation and the importance of its capacity plans.
The latest figures follow a decision allowing Heathrow to increase the charges it levies on airlines to recover costs linked to the early stages of its proposed third-runway project.
Heathrow’s future capacity could affect the capital’s international connectivity, the airlines operating from west London and the wider economic case for expanding the UK’s aviation infrastructure.
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