Heathrow has lost its position as Europe's busiest airport to Istanbul, new figures show, the BBC reported.

The west London airport said 7.86 million passengers passed through its four terminals in July, whereas Istanbul Airport in Turkey's largest city recorded 8.15 million passengers.

The US-Israel conflict with Iran has impacted Heathrow's passenger traffic, with Middle East routes down 20.2% year-on-year in July.

Annual figures from trade body Airports Council International show Heathrow was Europe's busiest airport from 1996 to 2019. It lost that title in 2020 amid coronavirus travel restrictions before regaining it in 2023, holding it ever since.

Heathrow continues to operate its two runways at near-full capacity and is seeking government permission to build a third.

An expansion proposal by the airport's owners would enable it to accommodate 150m passengers per year. Heathrow said, "The case for expansion has never been clearer."

In a statement, it added: "Our plans will ensure the country gets the infrastructure it needs to stay competitive and will deliver all-important economic growth."

The airport recorded 84.46 million passengers in 2025 and said that 19 July was its busiest day of the year so far, with 267,000 passengers passing through as many schools broke up for summer.

It added that several new airlines began serving the airport last month, which demonstrates "clear demand for access to Heathrow."

Last month, it was revealed Heathrow will be allowed to charge airlines more for its services to recover money spent on the early stages of its third runway project.

Source: BBC