Heathrow records busiest year ever as operational performance improves for business travel

Heathrow Airport recorded its busiest year ever in 2025, with more than 84 million passengers travelling through the UK’s hub and the airport achieving its best-ever December performance, delivering stronger connectivity and improved punctuality for passengers and airlines alike.

This news will matter to UK-based business travellers because improved punctuality and higher passenger volumes at Heathrow directly support smoother, more reliable business travel experiences - whether flying domestically or internationally - and the airport’s strengthened cargo performance underpins the robustness of global supply chains on which many UK companies depend.

Heathrow’s 2025 highlights included its busiest single day on 1 August, with more than 270,000 passengers passing through the airport, and impressive gains in operational performance, including over 97 per cent of passengers waiting less than five minutes at security and a baggage performance load rate above 98 per cent, putting an extra quarter of a million bags on the correct flight compared with 2024.

The airport also strengthened its role as a key global freight hub, moving 138,000 tonnes of cargo in December alone, with several record-setting days for cargo handling and an overall year-on-year increase in total weight carried.

Heathrow’s Chief Executive Thomas Woldbye said that:

December’s record-breaking performance shows the strength of demand for Heathrow and the benefit to passengers of the great service our colleagues are providing. Last year, there was no hub airport in Europe that was more punctual than Heathrow and we look forward to building on that success in 2026.

Paul Baker, Sales Director of Global Travel Management, added that this robust performance at Heathrow should give confidence to UK business travellers and travel bookers:

For companies that rely on seamless business travel, Heathrow’s record year demonstrates a meaningful improvement in both connectivity and reliability, helping travellers reach key destinations on time and with fewer disruptions.

If you would like further information about how these developments at Heathrow may affect your business travel arrangements, please contact your Global Travel Management Account Manager.