London Heathrow Airport delivers record May as airport prepares for a busy and well-managed summer season

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) welcomed over 7.2 million passengers in May 2025, making it the airport’s busiest May on record. The late May bank holiday boosted travel, pushing the airport’s 12-month rolling passenger total to 84 million, a new milestone.

Heathrow Airport prepares for record-breaking summer with strong performance and high passenger satisfaction

New York JFK became the first route of the year to surpass one million passengers, with Dubai close behind. Meanwhile, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain, and Cyprus all saw double-digit passenger growth compared to May 2024.

The Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham triggered a record day for flights to Bilbao, with 16 services operating over two days, double the usual amount.

Heathrow reports that 95% of passengers rated their experience as good or excellent, while 99% of security queues were under five minutes. These figures reflect the airport’s operational readiness for a busy summer travel season.

Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye commented: “Over 95% of our passengers rated their experience with us as good or excellent, that’s testament to why more people are choosing to travel through Heathrow. Over the past year, we’ve supported 84 million journeys, and this summer we’re ready to welcome even more.

“The fact remains that Heathrow is at capacity, yet even in a space-constrained environment, we’ve improved on-time performance and delivered strong security results by working closely with airlines and other partners. With hundreds of millions of pounds invested in infrastructure like new security lanes and baggage systems, we’ll continue enhancing the Heathrow experience and strengthening the UK’s global connections.”

Heathrow says that sustained record growth benefits passengers, airlines, and the UK economy, but also highlights the urgent need for expanded capacity to continue delivering efficient, high-quality service.

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