London Heathrow airport is on track to exceed its pre-pandemic passenger record following its busiest October ever, which saw seven million travellers utilise the airport.
Over 7.2m passengers journeyed through Heathrow in October, with the half term peak contributing to the airport's sixth consecutive month of over seven million passengers, as reported by .
"This year has been all about breaking records at Heathrow," stated chief executive Thomas Woldbye.
Following a busier-than-anticipated summer and early Autumn period, the airport has increased its forecast for the full year.
It now anticipates concluding 2024 having catered to 83.8m passengers, a rise of 2.9m from 2019's previous annual record of 80.9m. This increase equates to welcoming an additional 7,300 passengers each day.
Concerns that the surge in travel demand in the post-Covid era would wane this year have not come to fruition in recent months.
Europe's leading airlines have also reported consistently robust demand for flights.
Shares in Ryanair, Europe's largest carrier, skyrocketed in August after passenger numbers exceeded 20m in a single month.
"To keep up with growing demand and progress towards our vision of an extraordinary airport fit for the future we are investing more than £1bn in 2024 alone," added Woldbye.
Woldbye has urged the Government to acknowledge the significance of the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's air industry within its broader economic plan, remarking: "Being home to the world's most connected airport is a huge boost for the º£½ÇÊÓƵ economy thanks to Heathrow's unrivalled links for passengers and cargo. To maintain that competitive edge, the Government needs to recognise aviation's vital role in enabling and supporting other sectors in its Industrial Strategy."
In September, Heathrow maintained its title as the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's most connected airport for another year, securing a network that spans 234 destinations across 85 countries worldwide.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, coming in second place, managed just over half the connections of London's premier hub, with figures showing 33,000 services as opposed to Heathrow's 61,000.
