Heathrow Airport slams Government despite busiest day for more than four years

Heathrow Airport’s busiest day for more than four and a half years helped passenger numbers continue to rise in April, according to new figures.

The largest airport in the UK has confirmed it welcomed 6.7m passengers last month, bringing the total for the year so far to 25.2m.

Heathrow added that Friday, April 19, was its busiest day since October 2019, with it seeing 1,337 flights.

During the month, the airport welcomed a daily average of 224,000 passengers.

Heathrow boss calls for Government support

However, Heathrow added that despite its positive outlook, current Government policy is “curtailing the UK’s global connectivity”.

It said that initiatives like the introduction of “unnecessary visas for transiting passengers, the absence of tax-free shopping and the recently proposed hike in business rates, underscore the need for ministers to take a cross-Government approach to policymaking that supports UK aviation’s global competitiveness”.

Chief executive Thomas Woldbye said: “It takes an extraordinary team to deliver this strong performance and I’m proud of what everyone across the airport has achieved so far this year.

“As we continue to grow, our focus is on making Heathrow fit for the future, delivering reliable journeys for all our customers today and getting ready for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.

“But to unlock our full potential to help grow the country’s economy, we need the Government to implement policies that support UK aviation’s ability to compete globally, and thus make the UK more competitive overall.”

Eastern expansion boosts Heathrow

The new figures, released to the London Stock Exchange, also show that East Asian and Middle Eastern routes saw double-digit percentage increases in passengers.

A surge in passengers to Delhi and Mumbai has also made these the sixth and eighth most popular destinations so far this year with New York, Dubai and Doha taking the top three spots, respectively.