Heathrow reports dip in transatlantic travel as Trump turbulence hits demand
Heathrow Airport has reported a dip in transatlantic travel as Donald Trump’s erratic policymaking hits demand to the US.
Some 1.9m passengers flew to North America in May, down 2.1 per cent year-on-year despite the airport reporting a record month overall.
It comes after the European Travel Commission warned last month that Trump’s tariff war had added “heightened uncertainty” to transatlantic travel.
The number of European travellers visiting the US had already fallen sharply prior to Trump’s liberation day announcement, amid concerns of a more hostile US border.
Despite the dip in transatlantic demand, Heathrow reported its busiest ever May as 7.2m passengers travelled through the hub.
The UK’s biggest airport said record passenger traffic had become “the norm” as it reiterated the importance of plans for a third runway.
“As these record numbers become the norm, it’s time to start an honest conversation about the challenges this presents for an already space-constrained yet highly efficient hub,” Heathrow said, adding that expansion would be essential to sustaining a strong operational performance.
Manchester Airports Group, the conglomerate which owns London Stansted, Manchester and East Midlands Airport, also reported a record month as 6.1m passengers passed through.
British airports boom
Heathrow and MAG on Tuesday revealed record 12-month rolling totals of 84m and 65.4m respectively.
European travel demand has soared in the post-Covid era and continues to rise despite the global economic and geopolitical headwinds.
Thomas Woldbye, Heathrow’s chief executive, said the airport had reached full capacity ahead of summer.
“Over the past year, we’ve supported 84m journeys, and this summer we’re ready to welcome even more,” he said.
“The fact remains that Heathrow is at capacity, yet even in a spaced-constrained environment we’ve improved on-time performance and delivered strong security results by working closely with airlines and other partners.”