Latin America, the only region that sustained passenger traffic at London-Heathrow during March
Airport handled 6.2 million passengers in March 2025, marking a 7.5% decrease compared to the same month last year. According to the airport, the drop was influenced by the shifting dates of Ramadan and Easter, as well as a ten-hour operational disruption caused by a power outage linked to a fire at the North Hyde substation.
Despite the decline in passenger numbers, Heathrow recorded a 4% year-over-year increase in the volume of belly-hold cargo transported on passenger flights, contributing to a total of 144,156 metric tonnes moved during the month. In celebration of Mother’s Day, approximately 2,800 tonnes of flowers were imported through the airport.
Passenger traffic fell across nearly all regions, with the steepest declines in non-EU Europe (-11.8%), Africa (-9.7%), and the European Union (-8.5%). Only Latin America showed a slight year-on-year increase, up 0.7%.
In terms of aircraft movements, Heathrow registered 38,357 operations in March, down 3% from the same period last year. The sharpest declines were seen in flights to non-EU Europe (-9.6%) and North America (-5.8%), while domestic UK routes experienced a 7.6% increase.
Air cargo performance varied significantly by region. The most notable gains came from North America (+13.7%) and Latin America (+8%), while cargo volumes from the EU and non-EU Europe fell by more than 20%.
During March, Heathrow also added eight new routes to its network, including destinations such as Riyadh, Ottawa, and Kuala Lumpur, operated by Virgin Atlantic, Air Canada, and British Airways, respectively.
These new connections link Heathrow to cities home to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Ottawa (Canada), Santiago de Compostela (Spain), Rimini (Italy), and Tbilisi (Georgia). The Georgian capital is once again directly connected to Heathrow for the first time in a decade.
Thomas Woldbye, Heathrow’s CEO, commented: “It’s encouraging to see strong travel demand through Heathrow. While passenger numbers were slightly lower due to this year’s shifting holidays, belly-hold cargo was a standout with 4% growth, underlining Heathrow’s role as the UK’s gateway to growth.”
Looking ahead, the airport expects a rise in activity in the coming weeks, driven by Easter travel and May bank holidays. Heathrow noted that its operational teams are already preparing to manage the expected surge in passenger traffic during that time.
For the first quarter of 2025, Heathrow welcomed 18.2 million passengers, a 1.5% decline year-over-year. Over the past 12 months, the airport handled 83.5 million passengers, reflecting a 3.5% annual increase.
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Contando la aviación desde marzo del año 2000. Fundador y Managing Editor de Aviacionline.
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