London Heathrow no longer Europe's busiest airport
Istanbul Airport has overtaken London Heathrow as the busiest airport in Europe, according to recent passenger data. Heathrow officials attributed the decline in traffic partly to the impact of the US-Israel conflict with Iran on Middle Eastern travel routes.
Why it matters
This shift reflects the significant impact of regional geopolitical instability on global aviation and economic infrastructure.
Image source, BBC/Harry Low Image caption, Heathrow has been Europe's busiest airport in most years since 1996
Heathrow has lost its position as Europe's busiest airport to Istanbul, new figures show.
The west London airport said 7.86m passengers passed through its four terminals in July, whereas its Turkish counterpart recorded 8.15m passengers.
The US-Israel conflict with Iran has had an impact on Heathrow's passenger traffic with Middle East routes in July down 20.2% year-on-year.
Annual figures from trade body Airports Council International show Heathrow was Europe's busiest airport from 1996 to 2019. It lost that title in 2020 amid coronavirus travel restrictions before regaining it in 2023, holding it ever since.
Heathrow continues to operate its two runways at near-full capacity and is seeking government permission to build a third.
Heathrow Airport sees 1.8% fall in June passengers
Published 13 July Heathrow rail services disrupted as tunnel closes
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