Heathrow sees rise in traffic despite runway closure
Heathrow saw a 4.7% increase in passenger numbers last month compared with May 2012 despite the forced closure of one runway on the 24th due to an emergency landing by a British Airways jet.
The airport said the incident, caused by an engine fire, did not appear to have impacted overall passenger numbers, however it did lead to an increase in average load factors and aircraft size as passengers on cancelled services had to be re-booked on to alternative flights.
Heathrow said transatlantic traffic was up 3.6% last month, European traffic rose 6.9% and traffic to and from the BRIC economies shot up 11.7% with notable growth in India (up 17.7%) and China (up 13.7%).
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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