Business and traffic commentary Jul 2026

Heathrow

11 August 2026

 

School's out for summer as Heathrow hits busiest day of 2026 in July

·      As schools broke up for summer, Heathrow marked its busiest day of the year so far, welcoming 267,000 passengers on 19^th of July. In total, more than 7.85 million passengers travelled through the UK's hub last month

·      Popular hotspots included Italy and Spain, while Switzerland, Cyprus and the Czech Republic also saw healthy growth as travellers moved to soak up the sun in continental Europe

·      With the peak getaway period in full swing, Heathrow has deployed hundreds of additional 'Here to Help' colleagues across its terminals to ensure passengers enjoy a smooth start to their holidays

·      Our focus on world-class service has continued to pay off, as 98.5% of passengers waited less than five minutes at security last month and we maintained our position as Europe's most punctual hub

·      Alongside high passenger numbers, cargo traffic also saw its busiest day of 2026 so far, with 5,000 tonnes of cargo passing through Heathrow's doors on 12^th of July, with overall volumes up 2% year-on-year, driven by continued strong demand from South Asia and North America

·      Passengers travelling through Heathrow this summer can enjoy a host of new food and retail options, including the recently opened Bill's in Terminal 2, the first UK airport-based Slim Chickens in Terminal 3 and Wagamama's new kiosk in Terminal 5. Families can also take advantage our 'Kids Eat Free' offer across a range of outlets

·      Multiple new entrants have recently kicked off their summer schedule, demonstrating clear demand for access to Heathrow. New airlines including ITA Airways, Alaska Airlines and Riyadh Air carried more than 136,000 passengers last month. However, Heathrow is operating at capacity. The case for expansion has never been clearer, as Heathrow was overtaken in July by Istanbul airport as the busiest hub in Europe. Our plans will ensure the country gets the infrastructure it needs to stay competitive and will deliver all-important economic growth

Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said:

"Summer is off to a flying start at Heathrow. Together with our airlines and Team Heathrow partners we've achieved our busiest day of the year so far and ensured millions of passengers have gotten away smoothly on their well-deserved holidays. Preparing for summer has been months in the planning, we understand how critical our role is in providing a seamless passenger experience and we're committed to delivering throughout the summer peak. We want to go further, growing our route network and passenger offering. Expanding Heathrow will help ensure the UK remains home to Europe's leading hub and continues to benefit from the trade, investment and tourism that increased connectivity will bring."

July 2026
Terminal Passengers (000s)	Jul 2026	% Change	Jan to Jul 2026	% Change	Aug 2025 to Jul 2026	% Change
Market
UK	411	1.7	2,618	0.6	4,603	0.2
EU	2,807	1.1	16,326	2.4	28,802	2.4
Non-EU Europe	541	3.7	3,278	2.7	5,642	1.7
Africa	293	-0.3	2,023	6.0	3,502	6.2
North America	2,005	-3.0	11,809	0.8	20,647	0.1
Latin America	176	-0.1	1,266	-1.3	2,144	-3.6
Middle East	621	-20.2	3,698	-24.3	7,594	-11.8
Asia / Pacific	1,005	4.3	6,837	7.4	11,493	5.3
Total	7,859	-1.5	47,854	-0.1	84,427	0.6
Air Transport Movements	Jul 2026	% Change	Jan to Jul 2026	% Change	Aug 2025 to Jul 2026	% Change
Market
UK	2,968	-0.4	21,307	-2.1	36,882	-2.6
EU	18,348	-1.8	118,402	-2.2	206,924	-0.7
Non-EU Europe	3,343	3.6	23,218	-0.6	39,611	-1.0
Africa	1,250	4.4	9,052	3.9	15,502	3.5
North America	8,365	-1.0	53,074	0.3	91,651	0.6
Latin America	694	1.9	5,133	-2.8	8,661	-5.0
Middle East	2,022	-22.6	13,950	-22.0	27,766	-10.3
Asia / Pacific	4,036	10.5	27,375	8.4	46,157	6.4
Total	41,026	-1.1	271,511	-1.7	473,154	-0.5
Cargo (incl. Mail, Charter & Positioning flights) (Metric Tonnes)	Jul 2026	% Change	Jan to Jul 2026	% Change	Aug 2025 to Jul 2026	% Change
Market
UK	40	-73.8	227	-48.3	475	-24.1
EU	5,995	-3.2	43,032	1.5	74,361	-1.8
Non-EU Europe	3,443	-16.7	20,428	-12.1	36,608	-9.0
Africa	8,311	9.2	56,271	4.4	97,535	-0.2
North America	55,682	3.7	386,228	2.0	661,317	0.2
Latin America	4,562	-6.7	30,515	-8.7	53,873	-6.9
Middle East	19,712	-9.5	125,263	-14.2	235,304	-9.8
Asia / Pacific	38,878	9.4	263,251	9.9	441,248	7.3
Total	136,623	2.0	925,215	0.8	1,600,721	-0.2

 

END