Heathrow Airport has shattered its previous record by welcoming 30.7 million passengers between June and September, a new high for the group.
The total number of passengers in the first nine months of the year reached 63.1 million, compared to 59.4 million in 2023, setting another record, as reported by .
The airport's busiest days were recorded on 24 July and 2 September respectively.
A late summer surge was attributed to Olympic travellers taking European city breaks and major music stars performing in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ. As a result, the company has increased its 2024 passenger forecast to 83.8 million.
All regions of the world, except Africa, saw more visitors to Heathrow than in 2023, with the º£½ÇÊÓƵ and Asia Pacific regions experiencing double-digit growth.
Despite slight decreases in arrival punctuality due to airspace closures and weather conditions, departure punctuality improved from 62% to 68%. Security performance and baggage connections also saw minor improvements.
Adjusted profit before tax at the airport also rose, moving from a £19m loss in the first nine months of 2023 to a £350m profit before tax over the last nine months.
However, the airport reported adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of £1.54bn, a decrease of 9.7% on the previous year's figure.
In contrast, Heathrow's revenue fell by 3.2% to £2.7bn, while adjusted operating profit dropped by 9.7% to £1.5bn.
The company's financial health was bolstered by a decrease in finance costs.
For the nine months ending 30 September 2024, net finance costs before certain re-measurements fell to £683m, down from £1.2bn the previous year. This was driven by a significant drop in the retail price index (RPI) annual growth rate from 11.3 per cent to 3.5 per cent, resulting in lower inflation accretion expenses.
Heathrow airport investment
The company behind Heathrow has announced plans to invest over £1bn into the airport this year. While no dividend is currently forecast for 2024, this will depend on the company's financial performance.
"This summer has tested our colleagues, infrastructure and airlines to cooperate harder than ever before, with record numbers of passengers travelling through the busiest two runway airport in the world," said Heathrow boss Thomas Woldbye.
"We have risen to this challenge, delivering excellent service with over 91 per cent of passengers waiting at security for less than 5 minutes."
"Looking forwards, the Autumn Budget is a prime opportunity to set the aviation industry up for long term success. Backing British SAF through a revenue certainty mechanism and committing to joined up policy making that makes sense for aviation will supercharge Heathrow's potential to deliver growth and investment for the whole of the country."
