September was described as a “remarkable” month for Heathrow as passenger numbers surged to almost 7 million.
This represented a 2% increase over September 2016 and led to a record 77.43 million total passengers in the last year.
Latin American destinations increased in popularity, with a 9.3% growth in traffic compared to last year, following British Airways launch of a new route to Santiago!in Chile at the start of the year.
South Asian locations also grew strongly as Air India saw passenger numbers rise by 21%.
Regional airline Flybe added 20,000 extra passengers to its Scottish services from the London hub in the month.
Heathrow claims that noise levels dropped to new lows even as passenger numbers and cargo volumes increased.
The Heathrow Fly Quiet and Clean league table revealed that the end of the summer saw the lowest number of old, noisier “Chapter 3” aircraft in the airport’s history. The fastest growing aircraft are now the ultra-quiet Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling confirmed during the month that the next milestone of Heathrow’s expansion is on track and said the government is set to give the project the formal go-ahead in the first half of 2018.
Heathrow chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said: “September has been another remarkable month for Heathrow, with passenger and cargo volumes hitting new highs.
“We are pleased that the Civil Aviation Authority has recognised the progress we and our airline partners have made on delivering Heathrow expansion affordably, so that airport charges can be kept close to current levels.
“Together, we will deliver expansion in a way that meets the needs of passengers, local communities and investors and get the British economy moving in the early years of Brexit.”