Heathrow Airport, the largest in the UK, reported it handled 7.7 million passengers in July, a sign of a significant revival in international travel.
It is a 22 per cent increase from the 6.3 million passengers that passed through the airport in the same month last year, and just shy of the 7.8 million passengers recorded in July 2019, before the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic.
A significant portion of the surge in July's passenger traffic is attributed to an increase in the number of flights to and from Asia, a remarkable 129 per cent increase, and North America, with a 77 per cent rise.
Travel to these regions was significantly curtailed the previous year, primarily because pandemic restrictions in the two destination regions were in effect for a longer duration compared with other parts of the globe.
Heathrow also noted that July set a record for the number of passengers travelling to Turkey, with more than 73,000 choosing this destination.
There were also near-historic levels of flights headed for Portugal, Italy, and Gibraltar for the month.
The West London airport expressed satisfaction with its operational performance, revealing a “strong start to the summer season for passenger service”.
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Heathrow Airport in London, the UK's busiest, has been a travel hub for decades. Here The National takes a look back at Heathrow through the years. All photos: Getty Images -
An Airco De Havilland biplane of the British airline, Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited, about to leave on the company’s inaugural flight from Hounslow Heath Aerodrome, later known as Heathrow, to Le Bourget, Paris, in August 1919 -
Waterlogged runways at London Airport - Heathrow's original name - one week before it became Britain's main aerial gateway to the US in 1946 -
The new BOAC maintenance headquarters at London Airport circa 1955 -
The air traffic control room at the airport's new terminal in 1955 -
US film star Marilyn Monroe with her husband, playwright Arthur Miller, after arriving at the airport in July 1956 -
An aerial view showing the runways in 1958 -
The arrivals and departures board in 1960 -
A new airport gift shop, selling items by Chanel, Wedgwood and Pringle of Scotland, in 1961 -
The Queen's Building and the No. 1 Building Europa at Heathrow in 1965 -
The Beatles leave Heathrow for Salzburg in Austria, to resume filming of the movie Help!, in 1965 -
Passenger terminal gates at Heathrow in 1966 -
Keith Granville, managing director of BOAC, holding up a model of the Boeing 747 jet, with the new aircraft hangars under construction in the background, at Heathrow in 1969 -
An aerial view of Heathrow in 1970 -
Passengers boarding the first BOAC Jumbo Jet 747 used for a commercial flight, from London Heathrow to New York, in 1971 -
Passengers going through the departure lounge at Heathrow in 1973 -
Concorde takes off from Heathrow on her first commercial flight for British Airways in 1976 -
Men at work finalising the Heathrow Central underground station before its opening in 1977 -
Queen Elizabeth II passing though the Tube gates at Heathrow Central station on its opening in 1977 -
An aerial view of Heathrow in 1978 -
Passengers waiting near a departures board in 1979 -
Holidaymakers waiting in the departure lounge at Terminal 3 of Heathrow in 1981 -
British Airways employees protesting at Heathrow in 1984 -
Passengers and staff observe a silence in Heathrow's Terminal One to mark the beginning of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997 -
Rower Steve Redgrave at Heathrow with daughters Sophie and Natalie and son Zak after returning from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games with his gold medal -
Spectators watch the last Concorde land at Heathrow in 2003 -
Fans surround the coach carrying the England rugby team at Heathrow, as they arrived from Sydney after winning the World Cup in 2003 -
Heathrow's Terminal 2 in 2004 -
Passengers queue to check in at Terminal 1 of Heathrow Airport during the Christmas 2006 and New Year period -
Passengers wait at Terminal 1 on August 10, 2006, after airport security was raised to critical when a terrorist plot to blow up planes in mid-flight from the UK to the US was disrupted by police -
Planes queueing to take off at Heathrow in 2007 -
The new Terminal 5 at Heathrow in 2008 -
Aircraft at Heathrow Airport in front of the London skyline in 2016 -
Members of Team GB arrive from Rio de Janeiro at Heathrow, after returning from the 2016 Olympics, which saw Great Britain's strongest performance at the Games in over a century -
A composite photo shows planes taking off from Heathrow in November 2016. Forty-two planes were captured between 10.17am and 11.17am and a montage was created from those single images -
Items are arranged during an auction preview at Heathrow in 2018. The contents of Terminal 1, which closed in 2015, were being sold -
An airline passenger wearing a face mask pushes her bags through Heathrow's Terminal 5 during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 -
British Airways employees welcome Olympians returning from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 -
Travellers wait in a long queue to pass through the security check in 2022
In addition, security checks have been efficient, with queues averaging “consistently under five minutes”.
Heathrow's chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, commented on the positive trends: “It's great to see so many passengers getting away to grab some summer sun.
“We've got a great range of popular destinations, and our teams are delivering excellent service which will ensure your travels get off to the best start.”
In July, Heathrow processed almost a quarter of a million passengers daily.
While there was a marked 21.4 per cent increase in passenger numbers compared with 2020, the numbers are still slightly below pre-pandemic counts.
Heathrow's vibrant animal transit
Heathrow Airport isn't just a hub for millions of human passengers.
Every year, a vast array of animals, from snakes and starfish to dogs and horses, pass through its gates.
The Heathrow Animal Reception Centre, managed by the City of London Corporation, ensures these creatures are properly cared for during their transit, with adherence to the Pet Travel Scheme for seamless, quarantine-free travel.
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A female boa constrictor at the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre. All photos: PA -
Each year, about 14,000 dogs and cats, 400 horses, 100,000 reptiles, 1,000 birds and 28 million fish are imported through Heathrow Airport -
All animals are collected from the aircraft and taken to the airport's Animal Reception Centre for inspection -
Animals are provided with temporary accommodation while paperwork is checked before they can be reunited with their owners -
The centre, owned and operated by the City of London Corporation, can accommodate any animal species -
An adult white tree frog at the reception centre -
Chris, an animal attendant supervisor, checks on a cat at the reception centre -
A pug is brought in from the airport -
A clown fish arrives -
The centre works with airlines to ensure animals are well looked after and meet requirements that allow them to travel without having to quarantine
