Heathrow Airport saw an uptick in transatlantic passenger traffic in April, despite a wider downturn in US tourism linked to policy changes introduced by President Donald Trump.
A total of 1.8 million passengers travelled between North America and the UK’s busiest airport during the month, representing a 5.5 per cent increase on April last year. Heathrow also confirmed that year-to-date traffic on the route between London and New York’s JFK Airport reached one million passengers by early May – the earliest in the year it has ever hit that milestone.
April was a record month overall for Heathrow, with nearly 7.1 million passengers passing through its terminals – a six per cent rise compared to the same period in 2024.
The increase in Heathrow traffic comes as US visits from Europe have declined sharply amid economic and political uncertainty, as well as stricter border controls. Data from the US International Trade Administration shows that the number of western European visitors staying at least one night in the United States dropped 17 per cent in March year-on-year.
In response, several airlines, including Aer Lingus and Air Canada, have taken steps to stimulate demand, slashing summer fares on transatlantic routes.
British Airways’ parent company IAG said last week it had observed some recent softness in bookings for economy seats to the US. However, this was counterbalanced by robust demand for premium cabins.
Beyond North America, Heathrow also reported strong growth in travel to the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, where traffic rose by 9.9 per cent and 14.8 per cent respectively.
Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye praised the airport’s performance in what was its busiest April on record, calling the month “Heathrow at its very best.”
“We successfully navigated our busiest April ever whilst our service levels took a further leap forward,” he said. “We’re now firmly focused on the busy summer ahead, and work is underway across the airport to ensure we continue delivering for our customers.”
