Heathrow Airport Holdings released half-year results on 23 July showing a record 40 million passengers for the six months to 30 June, driven by 8 % growth in Asia-Pacific traffic and a 5 % rise in transfer passengers. Revenue edged up 0.3 % to £1.73 billion, but adjusted EBITDA slipped 4.6 % as higher business rates and technology investment offset the income gain. Chief executive Thomas Woldbye highlighted completion of a £1 billion security-scanner roll-out that now lets travellers leave liquids and laptops in their cabin bags – a UK first for a major hub – and announced works to create a new multi-storey car park and de-congest terminal approaches at T4. The airport paid a £200 million interim dividend after maintaining Europe’s best on-time performance, but warned that stronger government backing is needed to keep its privately funded third-runway project on schedule. The Department for Transport is currently consulting on a revised Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement designating the runway as “critical national growth infrastructure.” For global-mobility teams the numbers confirm that Heathrow’s volumes – and therefore congestion risk – are already above pre-pandemic levels even before any capacity expansion. The airport is lobbying the CAA to allow ‘early growth’ slot increases ahead of the runway, which could see more peak-hour departures as soon as 2028. Companies should continue to monitor policy milestones, as the final government approval and associated planning obligations will define future slot availability, route development and environmental charges that feed into corporate travel budgets.
Source: Investegate / Heathrow (SP) Ltd
