It has said it could lose the title of busiest airport
A British Airways plane taking off from Heathrow Airport(Image: Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA Wire)
Heathrow Airport has begun the new year by smashing its previous traffic record, but has issued a stark warning that it risks losing its crown without advancement on expansion.
Approximately 6.5 million passengers passed through the airport in January, representing a 2.2 per cent rise on last year and making it the busiest January on record. The month also saw multiple peak days exceeding 250,000 passengers, surpassing the previous January’s record of 246,000.
Yet despite the fresh milestones, the airport’s leadership seized the opportunity to deliver a stark warning on expansion, as reported by City AM.
“We remain Europe’s largest airport, but latest figures show we may lose that position in 2026 and we cannot keep driving growth for the UK economy without more capacity,” chief executive Thomas Woldbye said.
“That’s why Heathrow expansion is so critical.”
Woldbye said the decision the government takes this year is “essential to enable the delivery of the UK’s flagship growth project”.
As of February 2026, the expansion scheme for Britain’s largest airport officially shifted out of its paused state and into a preparatory phase. Following the government’s formal endorsement of the Northwest Runway scheme in late 2025, the project is now working towards a series of critical regulatory hurdles this year.
Towards the end of January, the airport disclosed that mounting staff costs and the government’s controversial business rates policy were set to take a bite out of the company’s growing turnover.
The business revealed its profit had plummeted by 38 per cent during the nine months to October and highlighted higher-than-anticipated expenses, chiefly stemming from government policy.
The firm particularly pointed to “employment and business rates” putting its bottom line “under pressure”.
At the start of 2025, Chancellor Rachel Reeves backed the Heathrow expansion as part of the government’s flagship growth drive.
Reeves told business leaders the Heathrow expansion would “make Britain the world’s best connected place to do business”.
Historic expansion attempts have previously encountered obstacles owing to environmental concerns.
Reeves’ proposal has continued to meet resistance, including from London mayor Sadiq Khan who last year stated he “remains opposed” to a third runway.
“I remain opposed to a new runway at Heathrow airport because of the severe impact it will have on noise, air pollution and meeting our climate change targets,” the mayor said.