Traffic and business commentary April 2015

07.00 11 May 2015

Heathrow traffic and business commentary April 2015

· 6.14 million passengers travelled through the UK's only hub at Heathrow in April. Combined March and April passenger growth stood at 1.2% and takes into account the impact of an earlier Easter holiday travel period this year

· Within emerging markets, passenger volumes were particularly strong to Mexico which was up 13.1%, China up 16.0% and the Middle East & Central Asia up 3.1%. North American segments continued to see growth with volumes increasing 1.5%

· Heathrow continued to welcome an increasing number of the transfer passengers that make such long-haul routes viable, with combined March and April year-on-year volumes up 1.8%

· While overall British exports remain sluggish, cargo volumes at Heathrow the UK's biggest port by value recorded growth of 2.2% overall, including increases of 61.5% to Mexico, 27.5% to Turkey, 18.5% to Brazil and 9.9% to India

· Members of London First, the influential group of businesses that seek to make London the best city in the world for commerce, have come out resoundingly in favour of Heathrow expansion - further evidence that Heathrow has the backing of British business

· Partnering with six of Britain's great city regions, Heathrow announced a £3 million advertising package to showcase that the cities are open for business and great places to invest, work and live to Heathrow's 22.2 million annual business travellers

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said:

"Expanding Heathrow delivers exactly what the UK economy needs - creating up to 180,000 new jobs and £211 billion of economic benefit right across the country, growing exports by increasing trade routes to fast-growing markets, rebalancing growth across the whole of the UK.

Heathrow expansion isn't about a runway, it's about the future we want for Britain. Let's be ambitious about our place in the world, let's keep Britain at the heart of the global economy and let's get on with expanding Heathrow. "