London Heathrow Airport has recorded its busiest January to date, with 6.5 million people travelling through the transport hub during the first month of 2026 – an increase of more than 2% on the same time last year.
January also saw the airport utilise new security lanes across all terminals whilst retaining its standing of the ‘most punctual hub in Europe’.
Heathrow saw multiple peak days of over 250,000 passengers during the month, surpassing the previous January’s record of 246,000.
More than 201,000 people travelled on Blue Monday, reflecting increased demand for post-New Year getaways.
The airport also handled nearly 125,000 tonnes of cargo during the month – reinforcing its position as one of the UK’s most important gateways to global trade.
Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said:I am proud of the strong service, great value and unrivalled global connectivity Heathrow provides to our customers. 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.
That’s why Heathrow expansion is so critical. The decisions Ministers and the CAA take this year are essential to enable the delivery of the UK's flagship growth project, secure planning permission by 2029, and ensure the UK has the flight and cargo capacity that it deserves.
