London Heathrow Airport marks 80th anniversary with global travel prize draw

To celebrate 80 years since its first official passenger flight on 31 May 1946, London Heathrow Airport has partnered with Star Alliance and Heathrow Rewards to offer UK residents the chance to win two business-class Round the World tickets.

The prize draw runs from 3 to 22 June 2026 and is open to UK residents who register for a free My Heathrow account and enter via Heathrow’s dedicated promotion page.

The competition highlights the long-standing partnership between Heathrow and Star Alliance, whose member airlines have been based in Heathrow’s Terminal 2 since 2014. Today, 23 of Star Alliance’s 26 member airlines operate from the terminal, carrying more than 14 million passengers annually and accounting for over 17% of Heathrow’s seat capacity.

Star Alliance airlines operate more than 1,500 weekly flights from Heathrow to 40 destinations in over 20 countries, providing extensive onward connectivity through the alliance’s global network.

The prize allows the winner to design a personalised round-the-world itinerary using participating Star Alliance airlines, starting and ending at Heathrow, subject to the programme’s terms and conditions.

The anniversary also highlights Heathrow’s remarkable growth over eight decades. From handling just 63,000 passengers in its first year, the airport now welcomes around 84.5 million travellers annually and serves more than 230 destinations in over 80 countries, reinforcing its position as the United Kingdom’s principal international gateway.