A record number of people travelled through Heathrow last year – a trend the airport is celebrating but which others say is a cause for alarm.
A record 83.9 million flyers made their way through the west London airport last year, its management said.
The figure is 4.7 million higher than 2023, and 3 million more than the previous record from 2019.
The airport expects the figure to reach a new record in 2025, with further growth forecasted.
It comes after new research warned passenger numbers in Europe are soaring in the wrong direction.
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By 2050, passenger air traffic from EU airports will more than double compared with 2019, undermining the industry’s own green initiatives, Transport and Environment (T&E) said.
The campaign group warns the “exponential growth” will offset any gains made by increased energy efficiency and sustainable fuels, with the industry on course to burn through 59% more fuel in 2050 than in 2019.
The airline industry, responsible for about 2.5% of global carbon emissions, has vowed to use more sustainable
fuels. But scaling these has so far proved difficult and expensive.
The sector has rejected calls to curb growth, saying it is essential to economic development and connecting people around the world.
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Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye said: “2024 was an exciting and a record-breaking year at Heathrow.
He pledged investment in “the kind of facilities our passengers and airlines are looking for” and innovative projects to ensure the airport “delivers for the whole of the UK”.
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T&E said the EU’s target to slash emissions is “meaningless” without sufficient policies to tackle emissions from aviation.
It is calling for an end to airport infrastructure growth, cuts to business travel, disincentives to deter frequent flying and to a reversal of “under-taxation of the sector”.
Jo Dardenne, aviation director at T&E, said: “The numbers leave you speechless. The aviation industry’s plans for growth are completely irreconcilable with Europe’s climate goals and the scale of the climate crisis.”
She added: “A paradigm shift and real climate leadership are needed now to address the problem, or Europe’s planes will be eating up everyone else’s resources. The credibility of the sector is on the line.”
