Heathrow airport has lost its position as Europe’s busiest airport to Istanbul Airport, with its management using the development to renew calls for an expansion of the UK hub.
Annual figures from Airports Council International show that Heathrow was Europe’s busiest airport by passenger traffic from 1996 to 2019. It lost the top spot in 2020 as pandemic travel restrictions disrupted global aviation, before returning to first place in 2023 and remaining there until now.
Istanbul airport overtakes Heathrow
Passenger traffic at Britain’s largest airport fell by 1.5% in July compared with the same month in 2025. By contrast, Istanbul Airport recorded a 2.3% increase.
According to the Guardian, the war involving the US, Israel and Iran had a significant impact on Heathrow airport traffic. Passenger numbers on routes connecting the airport with the Middle East fell by 20.2% year on year in July.
Despite the decline, Heathrow’s two runways continue to operate close to capacity.
The airport’s management is seeking approval from the UK government to build a third runway.
Expansion plan targets 150 million passengers
The expansion proposal submitted by Heathrow’s owners would allow the airport to handle up to 150 million passengers a year. In 2025, total passenger traffic at Heathrow reached 84.46 million.
“Heathrow is operating at capacity. The need for expansion has never been clearer, as Istanbul Airport overtook Heathrow in July to become Europe’s busiest aviation hub,” the airport’s management said.
It added that the expansion project aims to provide the infrastructure needed for the UK to remain competitive and support economic growth.
In June, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched a public consultation on the revised national policy for the expansion of Heathrow. The policy sets out the conditions that must be met for the project to receive approval.
Former Chancellor Rachel Reeves had previously said the government wanted work on the third runway to begin during the current parliamentary term, with the project expected to be completed by 2035.
Also read: World’s oceans hit record temperatures in July
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel
