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).
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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£½ÇÊÓÆµ's infrastructure considerably.
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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£½ÇÊÓÆµ'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£½ÇÊÓÆµ a competitive world-class hub fit for the future."