UK. London Heathrow Airport posted a +1.2% increase in first-quarter retail revenue year-on-year, to £170 million (US$226 million). The growth figure came despite a -1.6% dip in passenger traffic to 18.2 million in the period.
March was affected by the full closure of the airport for a day (21 March) due to a substation fire and power outage. Reviews into the matter and the airport response are due to report initial findings in May.
Group revenue in Q1 climbed by +2.1% to £825 million (US$1.1 billion), which the airport company attributed to a combination of more long-haul travel alongside improved property and retail income.
Adjusted EBITDA rose by +2.5% to £454 million (US$605 million), which Heathrow described as robust. Following a strong financial performance in 2024, parent FGP Topco made a payment of £250 million to its shareholders, marking a first dividend payment in five years.
The company was upbeat about summer traffic, with nine new routes coming into play. New long-haul connections include Cancún, Ottawa and Kuala Lumpur, as well as short-haul services to Rimini, Tbilisi and Santiago de Compostela.
Heathrow CFO Sally Ding said: “2025 will be a pivotal year for Heathrow as we finalise our business plan for the next five years and submit our proposals to Government to unlock new capacity at the UK’s gateway to growth. Our focus on steadily improving operational performance is yielding results, and our future plans will enable us to deliver better value and more growth for our customers and the country.” ✈
