Heathrow urges third‑runway approval as Istanbul overtakes it in July traffic

(Sharecast News) - Heathrow said on Tuesdsay that the case for expanding the airport "has never been clearer" after it was overtaken by Istanbul as Europe's busiest hub in July. The West London airport handled 7.86m passengers during the month, down 1.5% year‑on‑year, while Istanbul recorded 8.15m, helped by a 2.3% increase. Heathrow had been Europe's busiest airport from 1996 to 2019, lost the title during the Covid-19 pandemic, and reclaimed it in 2023.

Heathrow said the Iran-US conflict had weighed on traffic, with passenger numbers on Middle East routes falling 20.2% in July. Despite this, the airport continued to operate its two runways at near‑full capacity and has been seeking government approval for a third runway. Its owners say expansion would allow Heathrow to handle 150m passengers a year, compared with 84.46m in 2025.

In a statement, the airport said: "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 added that 19 July was its busiest day of the year so far, with 267,000 passengers passing through as schools began their summer break. Several new airlines also launched services in July, including ITA Airways, Alaska Airlines and Riyadh Air, which Heathrow said showed "clear demand for access to Heathrow".

Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye said summer was "off to a flying start" but said the airport wanted "to go further" by expanding its 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," added Woldbye.





Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com