London’s Heathrow Airport, the UK’s largest, welcomed 61.6 million travellers last year, more than tripling from the previous year when corona was still heavily impacting the industry.
“It is the fastest growth of all airports in Europe,” said the airport operator. Transatlantic flights, in particular, have been the basis of the growth in recent months.
But compared to 2019, before the corona pandemic, the number of travellers is still a quarter lower.
The airport also faced many problems last year: strikes, long queues and problems with luggage during the busy summer months.
Heathrow announced in October that it plans 25,000 hires to be ready for the next peak. However, the operator expects it may take several years before the sector returns to pre-pandemic levels.