Heathrow announces record passenger numbers on eve of runway decision
Heathrow Airport said it doesn’t expect the coronavirus outbreak to have ‘a material negative impact’ on its financial results as it announced its ninth consecutive year of passenger growth.
It handled a record 80.9 million passengers last year, 1% more than in 2018.
Revenue was up 3.4% to £3.1 billion, while earnings were up 4.6% to £1.9 billion.
Announcing the result on the eve of a legal decision on whether Heathrow should be allowed to build a third runway, chief executive John Holland-Kaye said it would be the ‘catalyst to the UK’s success after Brexit’.
If the expansion is blocked, Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport will overtake Heathrow as Europe’s biggest transport hub within the next two years, he warned.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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