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AIRPORT PICKUPS LONDON

Heathrow Europes Busiest Airport
15 - Nov - 2014

Heathrow set to lose prestigious position as Europe’s busiest airport.

 

 

 

Heathrow airport in central London has been both the busiest airport both internationally and in Europe. However, the airport is projected to lose Europe’s busiest title to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport in ten years’ time following a decreasing growth rate in the number of passenger growth at Heathrow. This is in addition to losing the world’s busiest position to Dubai airport in April, early this year.

Heathrow has experienced a 2.1% increase in International passenger numbers since August, compared to 3.8% growth in Schiphol airport. Heathrow constrained by expansion woes has not seen any growth in airlines using its hub. Transport links to the airport and the availability of space for new hubs have made the airport to be left behind in the race to be the beneficiaries of growth in Europe.

The Airports commission is set to launch consultations on how to solve UK’s constricting capacity. Heathrow has for a long time been a strategic transport hub with most connecting flights had going through the airport which made it the busiest in the world. This is all changing, its competitors have upped their game, increased capacity and better transport links have worked for them. They are slowly taking the business men and export hubs away from Heathrow.

Other airports in Europe have attracted a higher number of airlines with Paris attracting the highest at 10 airlines, Amsterdam with seven and Frankfurt with five. Paris is now a host to 100 airlines compared to the 81 that Heathrow claim to have.

Heathrow’s owner who had previously sold off Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airport says this is enough sign that UK expansion should be done at Heathrow to maintain its competitive edge in the international transport industry. Airlines are willing to come to Heathrow but cannot due to lack of space. It’s so bad that to introduce a new route an airline has to close an existing one.

By Airport Pickups London