London Heathrow back to its best? 5.4m passengers passed through in January as satisfaction soars
More than 5.4m people travelled through London’s Heathrow airport this January, marking the busiest start to the year since 2020.
Sharp upticks in travelers from Europe, North America, and the Asia Pacific region bolstered the London airport’s passenger figures to heights last seen before Covid-19, Heathrow said.
The airport also saw customer satisfaction return to pre-Covid levels as 98 per cent of travelers using Heathrow waited less than 10 minutes to pass through security.
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: “Heathrow is back to its best, with passenger satisfaction scores meeting or exceeding 2019 levels.”
“We are giving a warm welcome to families over the half term getaway by delivering excellent service and bringing back the magic of travel,” Holland-Kaye said.
Heathrow vowed to continue expanding its use of eGates by trialing using the automated border control systems for children aged 10 and 11 over half term.
The airport welcomed British Airways’ and Virgin Atlantic’s plans to restart flights to China from the Spring of this year after the country reopened its borders.
The uptick in passengers was however offset by an 11.2 per cent drop in cargo travelling through Heathrow due to declines from Europe, Africa, and the Asia Pacific.