London Heathrow has reported a steady start to the new regulatory period with revenue up 7.4 per cent to £1,234 million for the six months to June 30th.

EBITDA for the period was up 15.4 per cent to £704 million when compared to a year earlier.

Her Majesty the Queen officially opened Terminal 2 – the Queen’s Terminal on June 23rd 2014, following a successful start to operations on June 4th 2014.

John Holland-Kaye, new chief executive of Heathrow, said: “Heathrow has performed well over the last six months, with two consecutive quarters of record passenger satisfaction scores reflecting steady operational improvement.

“Terminal 2 successfully opened on time and on budget, marking the next step in the transformation of passenger service at the airport.

“My vision is to build on that record of continuous improvement, driving Heathrow to win the case for expansion and become one of the best airports in the world – an ambition which will give the UK a great springboard to continue to compete successfully in the global economy.”

Passenger numbers in the six months to June, however, slipped 1.9 per cent, down from 35.1 million to 34.4 million.

Net retail income per passenger also fell 2.2 per cent to £6.28.