Heathrow airport scores record April
Heathrow Airport reported an increase in transatlantic passenger traffic in April despite President Donald Trump’s policy changes sparking a sharp downturn in US tourism.
Some 1.8m passengers travelled between North America and the UK’s busiest hub over the month, up 5.5 per cent year-on-year.
Heathrow also said year-to-date traffic to and from New York’s JFK Airport hit 1m by early May, the fastest time the airport has reached that total.
Overall, almost 7.1m passengers travelled through Heathrow’s terminal gates in April, up six per cent year-on-year and a record for the airport.
Travel from Europe to the US has fallen dramatically in recent months as political and economic tension, coupled with a more hostile border, pile pressure on some of the most popular air routes.
According to data from the International Trade Administration, visitors from western Europe who stayed at least one night in the US fell by 17 per cent in March from a year ago.
Airlines, including Aer Lingus and Air Canada, have slashed summer flight prices significantly in order to fill capacity.
British Airways owner IAG last Friday said it had seen “some recent softness” in US economy bookings but this had been offset by premium demand.
Other routes proving popular at Heathrow include Asia/Pacific and the Middle East, which rose 9.9 and 14.8 per cent respectively.
Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye said: “Last month showed Heathrow at its very best – we successfully navigated our busiest April ever whilst our service levels took a further leap forward.
“We’re now firmly focused on the busy summer ahead and work is underway across the airport to ensure we continue delivering for our customers.”