Dubai was the top holiday destination during half-term for passengers flying from Heathrow, data from the UK's biggest airport shows.
A total of 5.2 million passengers travelled through the airport in February.
The month saw the biggest single day in Terminal 5 since Christmas 2019, with more than 94,000 travellers passing through on February 26.
Dubai topped the destination list, followed by New York and Madrid.
A spokeswoman for Heathrow said passenger traffic between the hub and Dubai was 5 per cent larger in February compared to the same month in 2019.
Traffic between Abu Dhabi and Heathrow was 86 per cent recovered in the same period, similar to New York's John F Kennedy International Airport, which was 90 per cent recovered.
“The February half-term went very smoothly, thanks to a great plan and teamwork across the airport”, said Heathrow's chief executive John Holland-Kaye.
“This should give everyone confidence that we are prepared for a successful Easter getaway.”
Earlier this month, Heathrow Airport was told it must lower the passenger fees that it charges airlines using the UK hub.
The Civil Aviation Authority announced that Heathrow, Europe's busiest hub, could charge an average maximum price per passenger of £27.49 ($32.51) over the 2022-2026 period.
Last month, the airport operator reported an underlying pre-tax loss of £684 million for last year, against a loss of £1.3 billion in 2021, even though it said it saw the largest increase in passengers of any European airport last year.
Heathrow is the world’s second busiest hub, behind Dubai International Airport.
Dubai and Heathrow airports in the 70s and 80s — in pictures
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Dubai International Airport in the 1980s. After a visit to the Gulf in 1981, UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher wrote of how impressed she was with Dubai airport and complained that London Heathrow was dreary in comparison. Photo: Dubai Airport -
Passengers waiting in the crowded departure lounge at Terminal Three of London's Heathrow Airport, during delays caused by industrial action taken by Canadian air traffic controllers in August 1981. Getty -
The entrance to Heathrow Airport in February 1978, when it was run by the UK state. Getty -
Terminal One at Heathrow is deserted during a strike by British Airways maintenance staff in April 1977. Reuters -
Escalators at Heathrow Underground at a standstill during strike action by London Transport maintenance engineers in December, 1977. Getty -
Passengers asleep in the passenger lounge at Heathrow during delays caused by industrial action by French air traffic controllers. Getty -
Cancellations cause crowding at Heathrow in April 1977. Getty -
Passengers queue at Heathrow in August 1978. Getty -
Weary passengers at Heathrow in 1979. Getty -
Passengers wait beneath a Heathrow departures board in January 1979. Getty
