New China links lift August passenger numbers as Heathrow reports busiest day for arrivals
Above: Heathrow welcomed its first flight arriving directly from Chongqing operated by Tianjin Airlines.
Passenger numbers were 2.6% higher than the same time last year, bolstered by the August bank holiday and passengers returning at the end of the summer season.
August 2018 was the second busiest month in Heathrow’s history, with 15 separate days where the airport welcomed over 250,000 passengers. The 31st of August stood out as the busiest day ever for arrivals as 137,303 passengers arrived at Heathrow. Asia saw the biggest increase in passenger numbers (+6.3%), as more passengers flew to and from the region using new services from Hainan Airlines, Tianjin Airlines and Beijing Capital. This was closely followed by North America, up by 4.7%.
Cargo volumes grew by 1.2% in August, as 140,738 metrics tonnes of goods made their way through Heathrow to locations across the globe. Cargo growth was led by the US, with over 50,000 metric tonnes travelling to and from the States.
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.”
Heathrow welcomed its first flight arriving directly from the Chinese megacity of Chongqing operated by Tianjin Airlines. The route is Heathrow’s 10th direct Chinese connection. This thrice weekly service will be able to transport up to 81,000 passengers a year and 3,744 tonnes of exports annually.
