Heathrow airport's passenger numbers have grown by just 0.3% this year due to severe capacity constraints. The UK's busiest airport handled 63.3 million passengers between January and September, only 200,000 more than the same period last year.
The airport's two runways are operating at almost full capacity, severely limiting growth potential. This bottleneck has prompted Heathrow to unveil ambitious expansion plans.
Third runway proposal
Heathrow announced plans last week to build a full-length third runway at a cost of £21 billion. The expansion would be privately financed and could enable an additional 276,000 flights per year, increasing capacity from 480,000 to 756,000 annual flights.
The airport believes it can secure planning consent by 2029 and have the new runway operational within a decade. However, concerns remain about the impact on passenger charges from the massive investment.
Record September performance
Despite capacity constraints, Heathrow recorded its busiest September ever with 7.3 million passengers. The airport maintained strong performance in punctuality and security during the peak summer period.
Chief executive Thomas Woldbye said: "This summer at Heathrow was one to be celebrated. Operating Europe's largest airport doesn't come without its challenges, but I'm proud that our team delivered under pressure - welcoming nearly 7.4 million passengers in September alone while maintaining strong performance in punctuality and security."
He added that Heathrow remained vital to UK economic growth and would continue investing to create opportunities for passengers, airlines and the country.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
