Heathrow passenger numbers in August were lifted by new flights to China and the busiest day for arrivals.
Passenger numbers were 2.6% higher than the same month last year to 7.5 million, bolstered by the August bank holiday and passengers returning at the end of the summer season.
August was the second busiest month in Heathrow’s history, with 15 separate days where the airport handleed more than 250,000 passengers.
August 31 stood out as the busiest day ever for arrivals as 137,303 passengers landed at Heathrow.
The biggest increase in passenger numbers of 6.3% was to and from Asia with new services by Hainan Airlines, Tianjin Airlines and Beijing Capital. This was closely followed by North America, up by 4.7%.
Flights to the Chinese megacity of Chongqing were introduced by Tianjin Airlines – Heathrow’s 10th direct connection to the country.
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “August has been another stellar month for Heathrow with passenger numbers and freight volumes continuing to reach unprecedented heights.
“It’s brilliant to see consumers and cargo making their way through the UK’s largest port to these new Chinese destinations.
“With expansion we’ll be able to connect more points of the UK to global growth and we’re looking forward to working with the Heathrow Skills Taskforce to evaluate how we can best maximise the job opportunities that Britain’s new runway will bring.”