Heathrow reports sizeable bump in May passenger numbers

London's Heathrow Airport reported a significant boost in passenger traffic and transatlantic flights during the month of May on Monday.

The number of terminal passengers at Heathrow during the month reached 6.727 million, representing an increase of 25.9% compared to the prior year.

It put the surge in passenger numbers down to the three bank holidays observed during May, with the coronation of King Charles adding a bonus long weekend.

In addition to the rise in passenger traffic, Heathrow recorded a notable boost in air transport movements, with a total of 39,488 flights recorded during May.

That marked a 12.4% increase compared to the same period last year.

Cargo, however, experienced a slight decline of 4.9%, with 112,363 tonnes transported during May.

One aspect of Heathrow's recent performance noted by the airport operator was the increasing number of daily flights between the United Kingdom and the United States.

Heathrow said airlines had been reallocating capacity from European and east Asian markets, which had been slower to recover, towards North Atlantic routes.

As a result, 1.6 million passengers flew across the North Atlantic via Heathrow in May alone, and one in four passengers traveling between the US and Europe chose to pass through Heathrow.

Heathrow said it currently operates 248 daily flights connecting Britain to 31 US destinations, surpassing any other European hub in terms of flights to New York with over 30 daily departures.

In its update, however, Heathrow Airport repeated its urges to the government to reinstate tax-free shopping to enhance the benefits reaped from recovering markets.

At present, it said visitors spent more than double the amount in neighbouring countries such as France, Italy, and Spain due to the absence of tax-free shopping in the UK.

Additionally, Heathrow noted that it successfully managed eight days of strikes during the busiest days in May, ensuring that there were no delays at security checkpoints and no flight cancellations.

“The unrivalled choice of destinations and high frequency to cities like New York make flights from Heathrow vital trade routes with the US - Britain’s most important export market,” said Heathrow chief executive officer John Holland-Kaye.

“We have delivered excellent service to passengers, with no cancellations, over eight days of strikes on the busiest days in May, and do not anticipate cancellations as a result of strikes during the summer holiday getaway.”

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.