Heathrow delivers smooth service during busiest Christmas getaway since 2019

The holiday season brought a surge in passenger travel during December, with over 5.9 million people traveling through Heathrow Airport alone.

This marks a 90% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. The strong growth can be attributed to transatlantic travel and JFK being the busiest route for the airport.

Despite the high volume of passengers, Heathrow was able to provide a smooth and efficient service during the festive period. This was achieved through forward planning and collaboration with airport partners. During the Christmas peak, 92% of passengers passed through security in under 10 minutes, while service for passengers with reduced mobility was also improved. Additionally, arriving travelers reported a friendly and efficient journey through immigration, despite industrial action.

Overall, Heathrow welcomed 61.6 million passengers in 2022, which represents 76% of 2019 levels. This is 42.2 million more passengers than in 2021, making it the highest passenger increase of any airport in Europe.

Providing excellent service remains a top priority for Heathrow in 2023, as the aviation industry continues to rebuild capacity and resilience. However, the airport is also concerned that the recovery of the aviation sector, which is crucial to the economy, could be set back by the reintroduction of testing for travelers in the UK and other countries in response to increasing COVID-19 cases in China. Despite this, governments have acknowledged there is no scientific basis for testing.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “2022 ended on a high with our busiest Christmas in three years and a smooth and efficient service for passengers, thanks to the hard work of our colleagues and close planning with airlines, their ground handlers and Border Force.”