Last checked at 11 May 2017 07:00
07.00 11th May 2017
Britain exporting at unprecedented pace as Heathrow sees record April growth
§ A thumping Easter getaway helped Heathrow secure its best April on record. The airport welcomed over 6 million passengers, jumping 11% on the same month in 2016. The Middle East climbed 22% on the back of more A380s and new services like Tehran, while North America rose 10% on higher load factors
§ New York and Dubai were Heathrow's most popular international destinations in April, with the routes welcoming nearly 500,000 travellers. Passengers also endorsed the added choice on Scottish routes, with Flybe's new services to Aberdeen and Edinburgh boosting domestic volumes by 19,000 in April
§ British exports through Heathrow are growing - the volume of cargo flying from the airport was up an impressive 12% in April and grew 27% to Latin America and 19% to South Asia, at least twice as fast as volumes to Europe (+11%). North America remains Britain's most important export market from Heathrow, recording healthy 14% growth in cargo in April
§ Communities across Britain are putting forward their ideas to host one of Heathrow's four new logistics hubs. These hubs will play a vital role in making Heathrow's expansion programme more affordable and environmentally sustainable, as well as creating jobs across the country as the airport looks to increase off-site construction
§ China's economic powerhouse of Qingdao in Shandong - home of Confucius and Tsingtao beer - is set to be connected to Heathrow later this summer after Beijing Capital Airlines confirmed it would begin services to the city. The new route will provide nearly 4,000 tonnes of new cargo space for British exports to a fast-growing market in China
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said:
"Heathrow had a bumper April - growth in 2017 has been faster than most expected, reinforcing the need for more capacity at the nation's hub.
"Britain's exports outside the EU are thriving and with Heathrow expansion opening up to 40 new long-haul trading links, the scale of the opportunity across the globe is tremendous. We're working around-the-clock to deliver Britain's new runway and secure the country's future as a global trading powerhouse."
Traffic Summary |
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April 2017 |
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Terminal Passengers(000s) | Month | % Change | Jan toApr 2017 | % Change | May 2016 toApr 2017 | % Change |
Heathrow | 6,732 | 11.3 | 23,893 | 4.6 | 76,734 | 1.9 |
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Air Transport Movements | Month | % Change | Jan toApr 2017 | % Change | May 2016 toApr 2017 | % Change |
Heathrow | 39,477 | -0.1 | 150,883 | -0.6 | 472,263 | -0.0 |
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Cargo(Metric Tonnes) | Month | % Change | Jan toApr 2017 | % Change | May 2016 toApr 2017 | % Change |
Heathrow | 137,979 | 8.6 | 537,461 | 7.6 | 1,579,273 | 5.1 |
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Market comparison(000s) | Month | % Change | Jan toApr 2017 | % Change | May 2016 toApr 2017 | % Change |
Market |
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UK | 400 | 6.5 | 1,469 | 2.7 | 4,686 | -5.0 |
Europe | 2,833 | 10.9 | 9,773 | 4.3 | 32,141 | 2.4 |
Africa | 261 | 6.8 | 1,034 | -0.4 | 3,160 | -2.1 |
North America | 1,509 | 10.4 | 5,071 | 2.0 | 17,272 | -0.6 |
Latin America | 107 | 14.1 | 413 | 4.4 | 1,243 | 1.2 |
Middle East | 690 | 21.7 | 2,494 | 15.4 | 7,294 | 11.5 |
Asia / Pacific | 931 | 10.1 | 3,640 | 4.8 | 10,939 | 3.1 |
Total | 6,732 | 11.3 | 23,893 | 4.6 | 76,734 | 1.9 |