Heathrow Airport's latest report shows a steady recovery in passenger numbers thanks to the easing of travel restrictions. It also shows that the airport has continued to provide excellent service to transit passengers while expanding its domestic and international routes.

A total of 6.4 million passengers passed through Heathrow in April. Compared to pre-COVID levels in 2019, growth is expected to remain steady at around 93-95% in each of the first four months of 2023, helped by both Easter and preparations for the coronation of King Charles III.

New destinations

Of course, it was not just the coronation of the new king. Heathrow has supported the introduction of Loganair flights from Derry (Northern Ireland) and Dundee (Scotland) to Sumburgh (Shetland Islands, Scotland) and Kirkwall (Orkney Archipelago, Scotland), with a 50% increase in the number of UK destinations served, by offering a discount on domestic landing fees.

In addition, a strong recovery is expected in the East Asian market, with plans to resume service to seven Chinese cities by the end of this month.

Coronation of Charles III Effect

In the days leading up to the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, presidential and other VIP aircraft from around the world flocked to the United Kingdom.

There were also flight restrictions for the flypast (with over 60 aircraft) celebrating the coronation of King Charles III, but this did not cause any disruption to commercial aviation. Minimal disruption was reported, primarily affecting only the smaller private aircraft that were restricted from entering London airspace.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said:

"It is only 12 months since all international travel restrictions in the UK were lifted, and we have made tremendous progress. I am proud that colleagues across Heathrow have shown Britain at its best for visitors arriving for the coronation."

Nearly 12,000 passengers received a "royal" welcome and a baggage tag commemorating the coronation of the new king.

A "royal" welcome for passengers

One figure is certainly noteworthy: more than 90% of passengers pass through security in less than 10 minutes. This is indicative of the impeccable organization the airport has put in place to handle the huge volume of passengers expected.

British Airways, in partnership with VisitBritain, recently unveiled a giant mural on the runway at London's Heathrow Airport to mark the coronation of King Charles III, which will welcome visitors arriving in London to celebrate this historic event.

The giant commemorative mural measures 47 meters by 64 meters and will be visible to passengers on the right-hand side of the plane as it lands on Runway 27L at London Heathrow Airport (LHR).

According to media reports, Heathrow Airport also wanted to dedicate Terminal 5 to King Charles III, thus having two terminals named after members of the royal family, as Terminal 2 has been known as the "Queen's Terminal" since 2014. However, the proposal was rejected by the monarch.

These are definitely good results for London's largest airport, which remains one of the busiest in the world and which, despite the inconvenience caused by the start of a new series of strikes by security workers, manages to maintain robust service for transit passengers.

Do you think the numbers would have been the same without all the interest in the coronation and celebration? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Heathrow Airport

• 

  London Heathrow Airport

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  LHR-EGLL

  Country:

  United Kingdom

  CEO:

  John Holland-Kaye

  Passenger Count :

  19,392,178 (2021)

  Runways :

  09L/27R - 3,902m (12,802ft) | 09R/27L - 3,660m (12,008ft)

  Terminals:

  Terminal 2 | Terminal 3 | Terminal 4 | Terminal 5