London Heathrow Airport is set to award its new French and Saudi proprietors their first dividend in five years, following a surge in passenger numbers that hit record levels in 2024.
The West London transport hub has approved a £250m payout in the coming weeks, marking the first distribution since the pre-pandemic era, as reported by .
The airport experienced a significant shift in ownership during 2024 when Spanish conglomerate Ferrovial divested its controlling interest to Ardian and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
This development accompanied Heathrow's announcement of its annual financial results on Wednesday.
Despite facilitating a record-breaking 83.9 million passengers, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA), alongside revenue, fell by 8.7% and 3.5% respectively.
Heathrow attributes this downturn to decreased airport charges, which were mandated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a 2024 regulatory verdict. Nevertheless, pre-tax profit experienced substantial growth, soaring by 30.8% to reach £917m.
Amidst these financial dynamics, Heathrow emerged as a cornerstone in the Labour government’s strategy for economic expansion this January, as Rachel Reeves lent her support to the long-stalled plans for constructing a third runway at the airport.
With intentions to lodge a planning application for the multi-billion-pound endeavour in the upcoming summer, Heathrow aims to boost the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's infrastructure considerably.
Thomas Woldbye, CEO of Heathrow, asserted: "Securing future economic growth means investing in the infrastructure that powers it," and pledged, "Over the next decade, we will be making the largest private investment in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's transport network which will modernise Heathrow and unlock new capacity for growth.
"This will grow the economy, make Heathrow better for all of our customers and give the º£½ÇÊÓƵ a competitive world-class hub fit for the future."
