Istanbul Overtakes Heathrow as Europe's Busiest Airport

London Heathrow has been replaced as Europe's busiest airport by Istanbul Airport, according to new passenger statistics for July.

Istanbul handled 8.15 million passengers during the month, while Heathrow recorded 7.86 million across its four terminals. The US-Israel conflict with Iran has hit Heathrow particularly hard, with Middle East passenger volumes down 20.2% year-on-year.

Heathrow held the title of Europe's busiest airport from 1996 to 2019, before losing it during COVID-19 travel restrictions. It had since regained the top position, but July's figures show Istanbul has now surged ahead with growth fuelled by routes to the Middle East and Asia.