Poor British weather in July contributed to a race to find summer sun, Heathrow reported today.
While overall passenger numbers remained below pre-pandemic levels, 7.6 million people travelled through the London hub last month – averaging almost 250,000 a day and 21% up year-on-year.
More than 73,000 passengers flew to Turkey in July, the busiest month ever for the destination.
Departures to Gibraltar, Portugal and Italy were also all close to record levels, proving popular countries for sun seekers.
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New York was the most popular destination, with passengers taking advantage of the 31 daily flights from Heathrow.
The airport reported a “strong start” to the summer season for passenger service, with security queues consistently under five minutes.
Heathrow continues to work closely with airlines to add more routes and frequencies.
British Airways services to Riga and Belgrade start in October and Virgin Atlantic will re-connect with Dubai after a four-year hiatus.
Lufthansa is to serve Salzburg and Friedrichshafen in time for Christmas festivities.
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: ‘It’s great to see so many passengers getting away to grab some summer sun.
“We’ve got a great range of popular destinations and our teams are delivering excellent service which will ensure your travels get off to the best start.”