Business and traffic commentary Feb 2026

Heathrow

11 March 2026

 

Heathrow reaches new heights with half term holiday boost

§ Heathrow continues to deliver for passengers and the UK economy, recording its busiest ever February.

§ A bumper half term combined with Chinese New Year travel pushed passenger numbers to 5.8 million - 110,000 more than last year and up 1.9 percent, driven by airlines operating larger and fuller aircraft. However, with Heathrow operating close to capacity, the latest ACI data shows passenger growth is now trailing the European average (4.6%).

§ Punctuality remained sky high throughout February. Heathrow outperformed all European hubs and London airports, further cementing its position as Europe's most reliable hub and security flows remained consistently fast, with 98 percent of passengers through in under five minutes.

§ Cargo volumes steadily rose, with almost 130,000 tonnes handled in February, a 4 percent year‑on‑year increase. Growth came despite fewer cargo-only flights, as we maximised the use of belly-hold capacity on passenger flights, reinforcing Heathrow's status as the UK's most valuable port for trade.

§ The airport's expansion plans continue to dominate the conversation. The country's hub and the world's most connected airport is full, with Istanbul now Europe's busiest airport. This is limiting choice for passengers and stifling competition. Expansion will add new routes, introduce more choice and in turn lower fares. Our plans will ensure the country gets the infrastructure it needs to stay competitive and will deliver all-important economic growth.

§ Heathrow is closely monitoring events in the Middle East. We're working with our airlines and airport partners to facilitate additional flight requests and support passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted by the conflict.

Heathrow CEO 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."

Traffic Summary
February 2026
Terminal Passengers (000s)	Feb 2026	% Change	Jan to Feb 2026	% Change	Mar 2025 to Feb 2026	% Change
Market
UK	337	0.7	689	0.8	4,594	-0.9
EU	1,835	2.9	3,693	2.0	28,485	1.4
Non-EU Europe	434	2.4	902	3.0	5,583	-0.9
Africa	277	2.0	600	4.5	3,413	3.5
North America	1,179	1.6	2,589	1.0	20,581	-0.8
Latin America	184	-3.7	391	-4.1	2,144	-4.2
Middle East	668	-2.8	1,505	3.0	8,824	2.5
Asia / Pacific	906	5.5	1,911	3.7	11,090	2.4
Total	5,819	1.9	12,280	2.1	84,714	0.7
Air Transport Movements	Feb 2026	% Change	Jan to Feb 2026	% Change	Mar 2025 to Feb 2026	% Change
Market
UK	2,937	-7.1	6,113	-6.2	36,943	-2.4
EU	14,840	-2.7	30,493	-2.7	208,714	0.8
Non-EU Europe	3,328	-1.5	6,920	-1.3	39,656	-3.2
Africa	1,285	0.9	2,702	2.5	15,225	1.8
North America	6,042	-1.5	12,778	-1.7	91,288	0.3
Latin America	751	-6.4	1,580	-6.9	8,690	-6.0
Middle East	2,597	6.5	5,671	9.9	32,217	3.7
Asia / Pacific	3,567	5.7	7,529	5.6	44,431	3.0
Total	35,347	-1.3	73,786	-1.0	477,164	0.4
Cargo (incl. Mail, Charter & Positioning flights) (Metric Tonnes)	Feb 2026	% Change	Jan to Feb 2026	% Change	Mar 2025 to Feb 2026	% Change
Market
UK	17	-69.2	33	-55.6	646	59.6
EU	6,122	-3.3	12,256	2.5	74,004	-8.2
Non-EU Europe	2,384	-17.2	4,744	-18.2	38,356	-1.1
Africa	7,370	0.8	14,360	-3.1	94,687	-1.5
North America	54,885	1.6	104,241	-0.6	652,974	2.3
Latin America	4,197	-8.4	8,287	-7.3	56,144	-0.0
Middle East	21,138	12.2	43,027	8.6	259,421	-1.1
Asia / Pacific	32,598	7.8	66,290	7.8	422,320	4.4
Total	128,710	3.6	253,239	2.3	1,598,553	1.3

 

END