Busy Half-Term Sees London Heathrow Airport Handle Almost 7 Million Passengers In October

A total of 6.9 million passengers traveled through London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in October 2023, making it the world’s fourth-busiest airport for international passenger traffic. Of the almost 7 million passengers, 2.7 million were headed to Europe and 1.8 million to North America, with a further 850,000 flying to Asia-Pacific and 680,000 to the Middle East.

Photo: maxrob27 | Shutterstock

Passenger numbers spiked during the October half-term school holiday at the end of the month, when 2.2 million were seen in one week alone. Popular destinations included New York (JFK), Dubai (DXB), and Los Angeles (LAX). Those three airports are served by five, four, and five airlines respectively from London Heathrow, offering passengers plenty of choice for their journey.

A bumper year so far

October’s figures bring the total number of passengers at London Heathrow in 2023 so far to 66.3 million, representing a 32% increase on the same period last year. When looking at data on a rolling 12-month basis, the figure rises to 77.8 million (November 2022 to October 2023), which is 38% higher than the previous 12 months.

In a further boost to its passenger statistics, the airport will see the second-highest number of Airbus A380 flights this winter, with 150 weekly services operated by the superjumbo. Unsurprisingly, Dubai International Airport, home to Emirates, will see the highest number, with more than 500 weekly A380 flights.

Photo: Plane Photography | Shutterstock

Also in October, Hong Kong (HKG) became the latest destination from London Heathrow to see more than one million passengers so far this year, following the full reopening of its borders. New York (JFK), Dubai (DXB), and Doha (DOH) are among the eleven other routes to have already surpassed this figure.

Gearing up for a busy holiday season.

A busy October will have been good preparation for the upcoming holiday season – while November is traditionally a quiet month for air travel, the airport will see another spike in passenger numbers come December. After only a couple of weeks in the role, London Heathrow’s new CEO, Thomas Woldbye, spoke about what passengers might expect at the airport over the coming weeks, saying,

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Among the new routes for the winter from London Heathrow will be the UK’s only direct connection to Peru, with LATAM’s service to Lima (LIM). The airline will deploy its Boeing 787s on the route five times per week from December 2nd. This new connection to South America will bring the total number of destinations served from the airport to 239, spread across 89 countries.

A Look At LATAM’s Long-Haul Network

What do you think of the latest passenger statistics from London Heathrow? Did you travel through the airport in October? Let us know by commenting below.