Istanbul airport overtakes Heathrow as Europe's busiest with 8.15 million July passengers

Istanbul takes the lead

Istanbul airport recorded 8.15 million passengers in July, compared with 7.86 million at Heathrow's four terminals, according to figures published on 11 August. The Turkish airport's passenger count rose 2.3% year-on-year, while Heathrow's fell 1.5% over the same period. The shift ends Heathrow's run as Europe's busiest hub since it reclaimed the position in 2023. Istanbul's passenger growth came as the London airport experienced declining traffic, with passenger numbers on Middle East routes falling 20.2% year-on-year. The July figures represent the first month in which Istanbul has overtaken Heathrow since the London hub returned to the top of the European rankings.

Historical ranking

Data from the trade body Airports Council International shows Heathrow held the title of Europe's busiest airport continuously from 1996 to 2019. It lost the position in 2020 amid coronavirus travel restrictions, with Istanbul occupying the top spot in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Heathrow returned to number one in 2023 and had held the ranking until these July figures. The airport processed 84.46 million passengers across the whole of 2025.

Middle East conflict impact

Heathrow's July passenger traffic was affected by the conflict involving Iran and the United States, with passenger numbers on Middle East routes down 20.2% year-on-year. The decline amounted to roughly a fifth of traffic on those connections compared with July 2025. This drop on Middle Eastern routes contributed to Heathrow's overall 1.5% year-on-year decline for the month, even as Istanbul continued to grow its passenger base. The reduced traffic on routes to the region came as Istanbul recorded a 2.3% year-on-year increase in total passengers.

Push for third runway

Heathrow continues to operate its two runways at near-full capacity and is seeking government permission to build a third runway. The airport's owners propose an expansion that would raise annual capacity to 150 million passengers. In 2025, the airport recorded 84.46 million passengers. Heathrow said the project would give Britain the infrastructure needed to remain competitive and contribute to economic growth.

Heathrow is operating at capacity. The case for expansion has never been clearer, as Heathrow was overtaken in July by Istanbul airport as the busiest hub in Europe. Our plans will ensure the country gets the infrastructure it needs to stay competitive and will deliver all-important economic growth.

Political tensions over expansion

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched a consultation on the renamed Heathrow expansion national policy statement in June, setting out the conditions needed for the project to receive approval. Then-chancellor Rachel Reeves said at the time she was determined to get "spades in the ground" for the third runway during the current Parliament, with construction to be completed by 2035. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who sacked Reeves, had previously expressed concerns about Heathrow expansion, stating that the plans divert infrastructure investment "away from the North and traps it in London."