Heathrow saw 6.9 million passengers in July, a 5.5 per cent increase on July 2012. The growth is largely attributable to lower traffic in July last year as a result of the timing of the London Olympics.

A survey of Heathrow’s passengers shows they are willing to pay for investment to further improve the airport – and that they are prepared to pay more than Heathrow is proposing. Heathrow’s Alternative Business Plan, which it has submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), makes efficiency savings totalling £427m, putting the increase in charges at less than a pound a year per ticket. At this level investors would invest £3bn to further improve the airport.

Services are getting back to normal at Heathrow Airport this morning following the closure of two runways last night after a fire broke out on an Ethiopian Airlines plane.

The aviation industry’s commitment to reducing the impact of aircraft noise took another step forward at Heathrow earlier, with the arrival of British Airways’ first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The aircraft boasts a noise footprint 60 per cent quieter than similarly sized aircraft and will be the fourth B787 to operate out of Heathrow.

Heathrow is better located for passengers, business and jobs than a new hub airport at Stansted or in the Thames Estuary according to new analysis published today… by London Heathrow. The new report, entitled “Best placed for Britain”, argues expanding Heathrow is the quickest way for Britain to get ahead in the global race, connecting the UK to growing markets around the world faster and at less cost to the taxpayer than any other hub option.

Heathrow saw 6.1 million passengers in May, a 4.7 per cent increase on May 2012. The average number of passengers on each flight rose to almost 152, equating to a load factor of 74.7 per cent, up 1.1 percentage points.