UK. London Heathrow Airport handled 75.6 million passengers in 2016, a +1% increase on the previous year and a new annual record. Last year marked the airport’s 70th anniversary.
Traffic on Middle East routs posted the biggest increases year-on-year at +8.8%, while volumes on Asian routes climbed by +2.8%. Europe, the largest market, showed a +1.8% rise while North American traffic dipped by -0.5%.
December passenger volumes also set a new record, with 6.2 million passengers travelling through the airport (+4.4% year-on-year). The Middle East (+16.9%) and Asia (+3.2%) were among the key regional drivers of growth while Heathrow also noted a strong performance on North American routes (+2.1%).
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “Heathrow celebrated 70 years as the country’s front door in 2016 and I’m proud that we were able to end this year on such a high note. Whether it was welcoming back a triumphant Team GB from Rio or giving Heathrow service to a record number of passengers, increasing Britain’s trade with the rest of the world or securing government support for expansion – Heathrow is Britain’s airport and we will continue to help all of our country thrive for decades to come.”
