Istanbul overtakes Heathrow as Europe’s busiest airport
by Sharyn McCullum | Last updated Aug 13, 2026 | News
Who would have thought. Heathrow, has historically dominated Europe’s airport rankings, holding the title of the continent’s busiest airport in most years from 1996 through to 2019. Then, it was lost thanks to the pandemic before reclaiming it in 2023 and retaining the title through 2025. But now in 2026, Heathrow has been knocked off its perch.
Istanbul Airport has overtaken London Heathrow as Europe’s busiest airport, with passenger traffic surpassing the UK hub in July.
Istanbul handled 8.15 million passengers during the month, compared with 7.86 million at Heathrow, according to the latest figures.
The shift comes as Heathrow grapples with softer traffic on Middle East routes, with passenger numbers on those services down 20.2 per cent year-on-year in July amid the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran. Seems people are still wanting to go to Europe, but wanting to avoid the conflict so choosing other options. And Istanbul Airport, seems to be the option.
With Heathrow seeking government approval for a third runway, the proposed expansion is expected to increase the airport’s capacity to up to 150 million passengers annually. Thus, surely putting them back on top as Europe’s busiest airport.
Source: Travel Weekly
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