London Heathrow Airport has lost its title as Europe’s busiest airport after being overtaken by Istanbul airport in passenger numbers for July. Figures published on August 11 showed that 7.9 million passengers passed through Heathrow’s four terminals during the month, compared with 8.15 million travelers who used the Turkish hub.
Heathrow Loses Top European Ranking to Istanbul
The shift prompted representatives for the West London transport hub to state that the case for expansion has never been clearer
. According to annual data from the trade body Theguardian, Heathrow served more passengers than any other European airport for more than two decades before the pandemic, holding the position from 1996 to 2019. It lost its pre-eminent position in 2020 amid coronavirus travel restrictions before regaining the title in 2023.
Heathrow’s July passenger total fell by 1.5% compared with the same month last year, whereas the Turkish hub recorded a 2.3% increase. Airport officials attributed the decline partly to the war on Iran and conflict involving the United States, which severely impacted regional travel. Passenger numbers across Middle East routes dropped 20.2% year-on-year in July.
Capacity Constraints and the Third Runway Debate
Heathrow’s two runways currently operate at near full capacity, handling 84.46 million passengers in 2025. Despite the summer passenger dip, the airport marked its busiest day of the year so far on July 19, when 267,000 travelers passed through as schools broke up for summer. Several new airlines also began serving the airport in July, including Euronews.com, Alaska Airlines, and Riyadh Air, which the airport said demonstrates clear demand for access.
The airport is seeking government permission to build a third runway, a £33bn expansion plan designed to enable the hub to accommodate 150 million passengers a year. City AM, Heathrow’s chief executive, stated that 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
. The airport added that its plans will ensure the country gets the infrastructure it needs to stay competitive and will deliver all-important economic growth
.
Political figures remain divided over the project. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched a consultation on the Heathrow expansion national policy statement in June, setting out conditions for the third runway to proceed. Former Chancellor Rachel Reeves previously expressed determination to get spades in the ground during the current parliament for completion by 2035, while Prime Minister Andy Burnham has raised concerns that the plans would divert infrastructure investment away from the north of the UK and trap it in London.
Contrast With Regional Rivals and the Turkish Hub
While Heathrow experienced a summer traffic drop, other UK facilities reported record-breaking figures. Both London Stansted and Manchester achieved record traffic for July, with Stansted welcoming 3.1 million passengers—a 6.3% year-on-year increase—and Manchester serving 3.4 million passengers.
