Heathrow Airport has warned that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is set to weigh on passenger numbers for the rest of the year, as travellers avoid key regional hubs and airspace disruption reshapes global routes.
Nearly 18.9 million passengers passed through Heathrow in the first three months of 2026, a 3.7pc increase year-on-year, which the airport said was partly driven by temporarily absorbing demand from other disrupted routes.
In a trading update, Heathrow said: “While Heathrow has temporarily absorbed demand from elsewhere, passenger numbers for the rest of the year are likely to be impacted whilst there is significant uncertainty in the Middle East.”
However, the outlook is more uncertain. Around half a million passengers typically travel each day through major Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi — critical transit points linking Europe with Asia and Australia.
Airspace closures following the outbreak of war in the region on February 28 caused significant disruption to global aviation. Although much of the airspace has since reopened, passenger confidence has yet to recover fully.
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