Wednesday, August 28, 2024 London Heathrow saw a 11.2% passenger growth in June 2024 with 1.76M travelers, driven by JetBlue’s entry and major airline expansions, reports UK Civil Aviation Authority.
London Heathrow Airport has witnessed a remarkable surge in passenger traffic, with June 2024 data showing 1,762,564 roundtrip passengers traveling between the US and the UK. This equates to nearly 59,000 travelers daily, highlighting Heathrow’s role as a major international travel hub. The figures represent an impressive 11.
2% increase compared to June 2019, the pre-pandemic benchmark. This growth can be attributed to several key factors. The entry of JetBlue into the transatlantic market has added competitive pressure, encouraging more travel.
Additionally, major carriers such as American Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic have significantly expanded their operations, contributing to the higher passenger numbers. Despite this increase, airlines managed to fill 88.9% of available seats in June.
However, the overall load factor experienced a slight dip compared to pre-pandemic times, driven by capacity growth outstripping the increase in traffic. This trend may have led airlines to adjust by reducing fares and yields to attract more passengers and optimize seat occupancy. In June 2024, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic collectively operated flights to 31 US airports directly from the UK, a slight decrease from the 32 airports served in 2023 when British Airways offered a route to San José.
The passenger data by market reveals that New York JFK was the busiest route, with nearly 309,000 roundtrip passengers, while Salt Lake City ranked last. Though no airline-specific breakdown was provided, the average seat load factor for each route was included, highlighting markets with exceptionally strong or notably lower performance. All three Florida destinations—Miami, Orlando, and Tampa—experienced below-average load factors.
Both Miami and Orlando faced double-digit capacity increases year-on-year, with Orlando’s capacity rising nearly 25%. As a result, fewer than 80% of Orlando seats were filled in June. Conversely, Nashville topped the list with a remarkable 97.
1% of seats occupied. It is crucial to interpret load factor data within the context of other performance indicators, as it represents just one aspect of an airline’s overall performance. In June 2019, Heathrow had 1,585,545 roundtrip US passengers, meaning that by June 2024, the airport had gained an additional 131,231 passengers.
This growth is not solely due to point-to-point traffic but includes all travelers passing through the UK’s busiest airport. New routes and changes in service have marked the post-pandemic period. Heathrow has added flights to Cincinnati, Orlando (a shift from Gatwick during COVID-19), and Tampa, though it has lost service to Charleston and San José.
Los Angeles experienced the most significant growth, with average daily departures increasing from nine to 11. American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic have expanded their services from double to triple daily, while United Airlines has increased its flights from once to twice daily. However, Air New Zealand ceased its daily fifth freedom service on this route.
(Delta Air Lines also briefly operated the Los Angeles-Heathrow route between March 2023 and May 2024 before Virgin Atlantic took over.) San Diego saw the highest percentage increase in traffic, with roundtrip passengers rising by an impressive 71.9%.
British Airways has traditionally served San Diego daily, but this summer marked a record double daily service, utilizing the 777-200ER and 787-8 aircraft. The frequency is expected to return to a single daily flight on the A350-1000 during the winter season. On the other hand, Detroit saw a significant reduction in passengers, with June traffic falling by about half.
This decrease correlates with the reduction in flights from double daily (previously operated by the A330-200 and 767-300ER) to a single daily service using the A330-200. This comprehensive data underscores the dynamic nature of air travel between the UK and the US, highlighting both growth opportunities and challenges within the aviation sector..
