Heathrow reports busiest ever February

11th Mar 2026 09:05

(Sharecast News) - London's Heathrow reported its busiest ever February on Wednesday, with 5.8m passengers passing through the airport last month, boosted by half‑term travel and the Chinese New Year.

Heathrow said traffic was up 1.9% year‑on‑year, driven by airlines operating larger and fuller aircraft, though it also noted that growth was now lagging the European average of 4.6% as the hub continued to run close to capacity.

Cargo volumes also increased, rising 4% to almost 130,000 tonnes, helped by greater use of belly‑hold capacity on passenger flights.

However, Heathrow said expansion remained a key issue, arguing that capacity constraints were limiting passenger choice and competition, particularly as Istanbul had overtaken Heathrow as Europe's busiest airport. Management said additional runway capacity would support new routes, lower fares and deliver wider economic benefits.

Heathrow also noted that it was monitoring developments in the Middle East and working with airlines and partners to support passengers affected by disruption linked to the conflict.

Chief executive Thomas Woldbye said: "Every day during February Heathrow continued to provide excellent service whilst passenger numbers climbed to new heights. Our passengers are at the heart of everything we do and we're focused on supporting those affected by the unfolding events in the Middle East.

"We continue to monitor the situation closely and stand ready to minimise the operational impact and assist our airline partners as they navigate this challenging operational environment."

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com