For the first time since 2020 Covid-19 restrictions limited traffic, London Heathrow is no longer Europe’s busiest airport.
Istanbul recorded 8.15 million passengers in July, exceeding Heathrow’s 7.86 million. The London airport blamed the lower numbers on the conflict in the Middle East, with passengers down 20.2% compared with the same month in 2025.
Heathrow’s two runways operate almost at capacity. The UK government approved plans for a third runway in June 2024, but this will not be completed until 2040 at the earliest. In a statement, Heathrow leadership said July’s falling figures made the case for expansion clear:
Our plans will ensure the country gets the infrastructure it needs to stay competitive and will deliver all-important economic growth.
Istanbul Airport, on the other hand, has expanded at an impressive pace: ranked as the world’s 28th-busiest airport by ACI in 2019, by 2025 it had climbed to 8th on the list. Türkiye’s strategic position — neighbouring Europe, the Middle East, Russia, and Central Asia — has bolstered Istanbul’s status as an aviation hub. National carrier Turkish Airlines flies to over 120 countries, more than any other carrier.
The year-end statistics will reveal the full effect of changing passenger behaviours, but ongoing disruption around the Gulf could also contribute to Istanbul’s growth. Key stopover hubs, including Doha and Dubai, have suffered amid airspace closures and geopolitical uncertainty. To avoid the Gulf, more passengers have been taking alternative routes — including transiting through Istanbul — to reach destinations in the Far East and Oceania.
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