London Heathrow Airport handled more than eight million passengers in August, its highest monthly total and the first European airport to reach the milestone. The hub also saw its busiest day on August 1 with 270,000 travellers, while same-day flight cancellations dropped by a third compared with last summer.
Despite the surge, Heathrow warned it is operating at full capacity, limiting growth and harming UK trade and connectivity. The airport is pushing ahead with a £21 billion privately financed plan for a third runway, which could add 276,000 flights annually and be operational within a decade.
Chief executive Thomas Woldbye hailed August as a historic moment for Heathrow.