Business and traffic commentary Aug 2026

Heathrow

11 September 2026

 

Heathrow delivers strong summer as list of airlines waiting for expansion grows

·    Heathrow ended the peak summer period with 23 million passengers choosing to fly through the UK's only hub in June to August. In August alone, 7.8m passengers were welcomed, including a busiest ever day on 2 August with nearly 272,000 passengers

·    Despite some big challenges across aviation this season, passengers consistently had smooth journeys, with 98% waiting less than five minutes at security, and 98% seeing bags depart as planned, helping retain the title of Europe's most punctual hub

·    For 80 years, Heathrow's teams have refined the service passengers expect. That expertise is helping shape expansion plans, a national project that will support 108,000 jobs, boost trading capacity by 50% and make travel more affordable to more destinations

·    Xiamen Airlines became Heathrow's newest carrier this week. The number of incumbent and prospective airlines seeking scarce slots now exceeds 40. Three-quarters of proposed new routes would provide vital long-haul links, but Heathrow's ability to accommodate them is constrained without expansion

·    Bringing these benefits to the country will only happen within strict environmental limits. Heathrow's clear trajectory on minimising carbon, noise and air quality impacts is evident today and will be rigorously scrutinised throughout the planning process

·    As Parliament returns and with the consultation on the Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement now closed, Heathrow looks forward to giving evidence in the coming weeks to show how and why now is the time finally to unblock this decades-old barrier to the UK's growth

Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said:

"This summer Heathrow remained Europe's most punctual hub. The longest queue at Heathrow is now the one made up of over 40 airlines that want to better connect the UK but can't secure a slot because our runways are full. Expansion is a national project that will create jobs, unlock growth and make travel more affordable. We are working with Government to deliver these benefits to every nation and region as quickly as possible."

	Traffic Summary
	August 2026
	Terminal Passengers (000s)	Aug 2026	% Change	Jan to Aug 2026	% Change	Sep 2025 to Aug 2026	% Change
	Market
	UK	390	-1.7	3,008	0.2	4,596	0.2
	EU	2,835	-0.3	19,161	2.0	28,793	2.2
	Non-EU Europe	528	2.0	3,806	2.6	5,652	2.0
	Africa	302	2.0	2,325	5.5	3,508	5.9
	North America	1,975	-1.1	13,783	0.5	20,626	0.0
	Latin America	179	2.9	1,446	-0.8	2,149	-3.1
	Middle East	668	-19.8	4,367	-23.6	7,429	-14.0
	Asia / Pacific	989	1.2	7,826	6.6	11,505	5.3
	Total	7,867	-2.1	55,721	-0.4	84,257	0.3
	Air Transport Movements	Aug 2026	% Change	Jan to Aug 2026	% Change	Sep 2025 to Aug 2026	% Change
	Market
	UK	2,882	0.2	24,189	-1.9	36,887	-2.0
	EU	18,408	-2.2	136,810	-2.2	206,507	-1.0
	Non-EU Europe	3,264	1.2	26,482	-0.4	39,651	-0.3
	Africa	1,254	5.2	10,306	4.1	15,564	3.8
	North America	8,404	0.2	61,478	0.2	91,665	0.3
	Latin America	705	3.8	5,838	-2.0	8,687	-4.3
	Middle East	2,054	-22.5	16,004	-22.1	27,169	-12.0
	Asia / Pacific	4,077	8.8	31,452	8.5	46,487	7.0
	Total	41,048	-1.3	312,559	-1.7	472,617	-0.7
	Cargo (incl. Mail, Charter & Positioning flights) (Metric Tonnes)	Aug 2026	% Change	Jan to Aug 2026	% Change	Sep 2025 to Aug 2026	% Change
	Market
	UK	71	244.2	299	-35.2	526	-14.5
	EU	5,211	-5.6	48,242	0.7	74,053	-1.6
	Non-EU Europe	3,620	-8.5	24,047	-11.6	36,270	-10.7
	Africa	7,625	-0.8	63,896	3.8	97,476	0.2
	North America	57,182	5.1	443,410	2.4	664,068	0.7
	Latin America	4,549	-8.4	35,063	-8.7	53,455	-7.9
	Middle East	19,321	-10.1	144,584	-13.7	233,144	-10.5
	Asia / Pacific	39,537	13.3	302,788	10.3	445,890	8.1
	Total	137,115	3.1	1,062,331	1.1	1,604,880	0.0

 

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