Cargo and passenger traffic surge at Heathrow in record-breaking 2024
Heathrow Airport closed 2024 with 83.9 million passengers, breaking its annual record and surpassing pre-pandemic levels. December became its busiest month ever, and the airport reported significant growth in cargo and connectivity as it prepares for further investments in 2025
London's Heathrow Airport ended 2024 with a total of 83.9 million passengers, setting a new annual record and surpassing the previous peak of 2019 by 3 million. According to data released by the airport, December 2024 marked the busiest month in its history, with over 7 million passengers.
Christmas Day, traditionally one of the quietest days for travel, saw a 13% increase compared to 2023, reaching 160,000 passengers. In terms of cargo, Heathrow reported transporting over 1.5 million tonnes during the year, a 10% increase over 2023. The holiday season alone accounted for 138,000 tonnes of cargo.
Connectivity and operations
Heathrow, recognized as one of the most connected airports in the world, highlighted its main destinations in 2024, which included New York, Los Angeles, Dublin, and Madrid. The airport noted that 92% of passengers passed through security checks in less than 5 minutes, thanks to infrastructure investments such as modernized security lanes and the refurbishment of the southern runway. These upgrades did not impact operations, even during the busiest summer in Heathrow's history.
Europe led in passenger volume with 28.1 million, followed by North America with 20.6 million and Asia-Pacific with 10.7 million. In the cargo segment, North America was the largest contributor, with over 624,000 tonnes transported during the year. Passenger traffic between London and Latin America grew by 6.6% in 2024, reaching 2.2 million passengers.
Regarding aircraft movements, European traffic continued to lead with 206,371 flights (+5.6%). Operations to and from North America decreased slightly by 0.2%, while those to and from Latin America grew by 4.5%.
Cargo volumes in domestic and European markets declined in 2024, but North America and Africa recorded growth of 14.7% and 22.4%, respectively. Cargo movement between London/Heathrow and Latin America increased by 9.6% during the year.
Projections for 2025
Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye reflected on 2024 as an exciting year, highlighting his team’s efforts. “I'm proud of all my colleagues and our partners who worked hard to deliver exceptional experiences to more passengers than ever before. In 2025, we will continue our path by investing in innovative facilities to meet the needs of our customers and airlines,” he said.
Looking ahead to 2025, Heathrow expects to handle 84.2 million passengers, setting another annual record. The airport also plans to invest over £1 billion in upgrades, strengthening its position as a key global aviation hub.
Contando la aviación desde marzo del año 2000. Fundador y Managing Editor de Aviacionline. Base: ROS Origen: RES
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