UK. London Heathrow Airport today revealed its first-half results with retail income up by nearly +12% year-on-year to £360 million (US$463.8 million), outstripping the +7.3% passenger growth.
The positive retail results were attributed to the increase in departing passengers and a strong car parking performance, the airport company noted.
Passenger volume from January to June stood at 39.8 million, an increase of +7.3% from the same period last year. Notably, the airport posted the highest daily passenger volume on 30 June, with 268,000 passengers travelling on over 1,300 flights.
The record-breaking number of passengers was boosted by high load factors and larger aircraft.
The airport saw a surge in demand from key markets including Asia Pacific (+15.6%), mainly driven by China and Japan, which saw double-digit growth. The number of passengers from Africa (-11%) meanwhile dropped mainly because of fewer movements.
Total revenue in the six-month period slid by -2.9% to £1,692 million (US$2,177 million) as a result of the changes in regulatory charges introduced by the Civil Aviation Authority, partially offset by the increase in passenger numbers.
Operating costs, led by employment, climbed +10.35 in the period.
Adjusted EBITDA declined by -11% to £951 million (US$1.2 billion) while adjusted pre-tax profit reached £178 million (US$229.5 million), compared to a £139 million loss in H1 last year.
Heathrow also commented on the notable year-on-year improvement in its overall passenger satisfaction levels in the first half, with 76% of passengers surveyed rating their overall satisfaction with the airport as either ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’.
The airport company underlined its preparation for the busy summer season, supported by a record number 90,000 staff members.
Heathrow Airport said this is driving its operational performance, with a significant improvement in departures punctuality (+72.8% year-on-year) in the first six months and over 95% of passengers passing through security in less than five minutes.
Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said: “Serving record-breaking passenger numbers while continuing to deliver excellent customer service is no easy feat and is testament to the dedication of my hardworking colleagues.
“In addition to the nearly 40 million passengers that flew through Heathrow during the first six months, so did 765 tonnes of cargo, supporting world-leading British industries to access global export markets. We are working hard to deliver economic benefits for all of the UK, but this needs to be supported by joined-up policy making that prioritises global competitiveness and sustainable growth.
“We are encouraged by the new government’s recognition of Heathrow’s role in powering growth across the country, and look forward to working with Ministers to ensure we are firing on all cylinders and retain our global standing.” ✈
