UK. Heathrow Airport retail revenue climbed +2.8% year-on-year in the first nine months, reaching £588 million (US$784 million). The increase outpaced the +0.3% rise in passenger traffic to 63.3 million in the period.
Group revenue posted a +2% increase to £2,703 million (US$3,602 million), driven by strong long-haul numbers, increased uptake of premium services and favourable property performance, said the company in a statement. These gains partially offset headwinds such as the loss of VAT-free shopping, Heathrow added.
Adjusted EBITDA declined -0.2% to £1,533 million (US$2,043 million) with adjusted pre-tax profits down -38% to £217 million (US$289 million).
Heathrow noted some key achievements in the period, delivering the best on-time performance among Europe’s major airports in Q3. The UK gateway also served a record 23.4 million passengers in the latest quarter, including an all-time monthly high of 8 million in August. The airport company said its recent investment in security checkpoints is also yielding results, with over 97% of passengers waiting less than five minutes.
As part of a wider £2 billion (US$2.7 billion) infrastructure drive in 2025 and 2026, Heathrow has invested £901 million (US$1.2 billion) so far this year to enhance passenger experience and resilience.
Heathrow CFO Sally Ding said, “This is a great time for Heathrow customers – with more people than ever flying from the airport, we are proud to be Europe’s most punctual hub and the best-connected airport in the world.
“We already invest over £1 billion every year to improve the airport and we have exciting plans to increase that investment to deliver the modern, upgraded facilities customers want. We are also working to unlock a third runway which can be operational within a decade, giving customers more value and choice and securing economic growth across the whole country for decades to come. Ministers now need to move forward to unlock this 100% privately financed investment and get Britain growing.” ✈
*Click here for our recent interview with Heathrow Retail Director Fraser Brown, who talks about the positive impact of passenger growth, a high-spending audience and improving service levels on the commercial business today.
