Heathrow Airport welcomed over 7.2 million passengers in May 2025, marking its busiest May ever and continuing a trend of record-breaking growth, driven in part by strong late May Bank Holiday travel. Over the past 12 months, Heathrow has served 84 million passengers, reinforcing its position as the UK’s global gateway.
A notable highlight this year was New York JFK becoming the first route from Heathrow to exceed one million passengers in 2025, with Dubai closely following in second place. Meanwhile, popular Mediterranean destinations – Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain, and Cyprus – all saw double-digit passenger growth compared to last year.
The airport also saw a significant spike in traffic to Bilbao on 22nd May, the day after the Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. In total, 16 flights operated on this route across two days – double the usual volume – as fans travelled to and from the event.
Despite the growing numbers, Heathrow continues to maintain high service standards. During recent peak periods, staff delivered smooth operations, with over 95% of passengers rating their experience as good or excellent, and 99% of security queue times clocking in at under five minutes. The airport is well-prepared for another strong summer season, ensuring confidence among travellers.
Heathrow’s record-breaking performance signals robust demand that benefits the UK economy, airlines, and passengers. However, with such growth becoming routine, the airport has reiterated the need for a serious discussion around capacity constraints. Operating at full capacity, Heathrow continues to deliver efficiency and quality service, but expanding infrastructure is critical to sustaining performance and meeting future demand.
Thomas Woldbye, Heathrow’s CEO, commented, “Over 95% of our passengers rated their experience with us as good or excellent — that’s testament to why more people are choosing to travel through Heathrow. Over the past year, we’ve supported 84 million journeys, and this summer we’re ready to welcome even more. The fact remains that Heathrow is at capacity, yet even in a space-constrained environment we’ve improved on-time performance and delivered strong security results by working closely with airlines and other partners. With hundreds of millions of pounds invested in infrastructure like new security lanes and baggage systems, we’ll continue enhancing the Heathrow experience and strengthening the UK’s global connections.”
