Heathrow Airport has been dethroned as Europe's busiest airport, with Istanbul now holding the title. In July 2026, Heathrow recorded 7.86 million passengers across its four terminals, while Istanbul Airport welcomed 8.15 million, marking a significant shift in European aviation rankings. The unexpected challenger is neither Paris nor Madrid, which ranked as the world's 14th and 18th busiest airports in 2025, nor Amsterdam, which was 17th.
Passenger Numbers and Trends
Heathrow's July passenger total represented a 1.5% decrease compared with the same month last year, while Istanbul saw a 2.3% boost. Annual figures from trade body Airports Council International show Heathrow was Europe's busiest airport from 1996 to 2019. It lost that position in 2020 amid coronavirus travel restrictions before regaining it in 2023 and holding the title since then.
The Iran-US conflict has had an impact on Heathrow's passenger traffic in 2026. Its passenger numbers on Middle East routes in July were down 20.2% year-on-year. Despite this, Heathrow continues to operate its two runways at near-full capacity, and is seeking Government permission to build a third. An expansion proposal by the airport's owners would enable it to accommodate 150 million passengers per year. It recorded 84.46 million passengers in 2025.
Expansion Arguments and Government Stance
Heathrow said in a statement: “Heathrow is operating at capacity. The case for expansion has never been clearer, as Heathrow was overtaken in July by Istanbul airport as the busiest hub in Europe. Our plans will ensure the country gets the infrastructure it needs to stay competitive and will deliver all-important economic growth.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched a consultation on the renamed Heathrow expansion national policy statement in June, setting out the conditions needed if the project is to be given the go-ahead. Then-chancellor Rachel Reeves said at the time she was determined to get “spades in the ground” for the third runway in the current Parliament, and for it to be built by 2035.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who sacked Ms Reeves, previously expressed concerns over Heathrow expansion, stating the plans divert infrastructure investment “away from the North and traps it in London”.
Record Day and New Airlines
Heathrow said July 19 was its busiest day of the year so far as many schools broke up for summer, with 267,000 passengers recorded. It added that several new airlines began serving the airport last month, which demonstrates “clear demand for access to Heathrow”. They include ITA Airways from Italy, Alaska Airlines from the US and Riyadh Air from Saudi Arabia.
Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye said summer is “off to a flying start” but “we want to go further” by “growing our route network and passenger offering”. He continued: “Expanding Heathrow will help ensure the UK remains home to Europe’s leading hub and continues to benefit from the trade, investment and tourism that increased connectivity will bring.”
