Heathrow has "busiest July since 2006"
UK airport operator BAA has reported its busiest July at London Heathrow since 2006 as the decline in traffic shows signs of slowing.
Heathrow was one of only two BAA-owned airports along with Edinburgh to show growth in the number of passengers handled over July.
The London hub served 6.5 million passengers in July, a 0.9% growth year-on-year. In the six months to July Heathrow saw traffic drop 3% to 37.7 million travellers.
Overall BAA's seven UK airports reported a 2.4% year-on-year decline in traffic in July. In June and May BAA reported 5.9% and 7.3% declines respectively.
The results show a slowing in the decline of passenger traffic with many July figures above the quarterly and half year averages.
In July London Gatwick and Stansted saw traffic decline 4.8% and 5.7% year-on-year, compared to quarterly declines of 8.9% and 12.8% respectively.
Edinburgh has reported the smallest declines in traffic in July, over the three months to July and over the last six months, with growth seen more recently.
Glasgow has been the worst affected with a 12.9% year-on-year drop in traffic in July, above the quarterly and half year declines of 12.6% and 11.4% respectively.
BAA saw a growth in European scheduled and long haul traffic of 1.2% and 4.8% year-on-year respectively.
But European charter traffic, including North African routes, declined 18.6% year-on-year as the economic downturn continues to affect premium demand.
Last month BAA said it would not be forced to sell Gatwick despite mounting losses and a regulatory ruling (see ABTN news July 30 2009).
The airport operator faces a £1bn debt and a Competition Commission ruling ordering the sale of Gatwick, Stansted and either Glasgow or Edinburgh.
This would leave BAA with Heathrow, Southampton, Aberdeen and either Glasgow or Edinburgh.
www.baa.com