Heathrow by the Numbers: Anatomy of a Paused Global Hub
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London Heathrow Airport is a critical hub for global air connectivity and trade, with over 1,300 flights landing and departing daily.
This makes the airport’s operational shutdown until 11:59 PM this Friday—due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation on Thursday night—an unprecedented disruption for both passengers and airlines.
Heathrow by the Numbers
- For Friday, March 21, 1,330 scheduled passenger flights (arrivals and departures) were planned according to Cirium.
- Heathrow’s global network includes 208 destinations:
- 78 in Europe
- 38 in North America
- 37 in Asia
- 16 in Latin America and the Caribbean
- 14 in Africa
- 12 in the UK
- 11 in the Middle East
- 2 in Oceania
- 77 airlines operate scheduled passenger flights.
- 83.9 million passengers passed through Heathrow in 2024 (+6% compared to 2023).
- Of this total, 74.9 million were international passengers.
- In 2024, Heathrow was the fifth busiest airport globally by passenger numbers and the second busiest considering international traffic.
- British Airways accounts for 47% of seat capacity and 51% of flights. Virgin Atlantic followed, far behind, with 7% of seats and 5% of scheduled flights.
- Average load factor was 80.7%, with 220.6 occupied seats per flight on average.
- Heathrow handled 1,580,000 tonnes of cargo in 2024 (+10.4% compared to the previous year).
- Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited, the airport’s operator, reported revenues of £3.559 billion (-4% vs. 2023):
- £2.229 billion from aeronautical sources.
- £772 million from retail.
- £558 million from other non-aeronautical sources.
- Operating costs reached £1.524 billion (+5%).
- Net profits amounted to £644 million (£78 million higher than 2023).
Heathrow Airport is operated by Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited, owned by the consortium FGP Topco Limited, whose shareholders include Ardian (22.61%), Qatar Investment Authority (20%), Public Investment Fund (15.01%), GIC (11.2%), Australian Retirement Trust (11.18%), China Investment Corporation (10%), Ferrovial (5.25%), Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ, 2.65%), and Universities Superannuation Scheme (2.1%).
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