Heathrow has its busiest-ever day as 268,000 passengers travel in 24 hours – just days after British Airways IT meltdown left flyers stranded on planes

Heathrow Airport has recorded its busiest ever day for passengers turning 268,000 people through its terminals in 24 hours as Brits head to and from the country on summer holidays.

In fact, five days last month saw the airport break the 260,000 passenger milestone, including on consecutive days on June 23 and 24. 

This is despite a British Airways IT meltdown leaving many flyers stranded at the airline’s flagship destination in the days before the record was set.

Heathrow said the record-breaking number of 268,000 passengers was clocked up on June 30.

Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye said: ‘We have started summer as we mean to go on.’

Across the entirety of June, the airport saw 7.4 million passengers, up 5.6 per cent from 7m during the same month last year, as demand for a summer getaway seems to be increasing 

Across the entirety of June, the airport saw 7.4 million passengers, up 5.6 per cent from 7m during the same month last year. 

Mr Woldbye added: ‘June has seen more Heathrow records shattered including serving more passengers in a single day than ever before.

‘I want to thank all my colleagues who went the extra mile to make sure the 268,000 passengers travelling on the busiest day had a smooth, stress-free journey.’

Shortly before its record-breaking day, Heathrow also predicted that 2024 would see a new high for passengers across the year – with 82.8m expected to use the airport in that time.

Heathrow said it also has record high number of staff, 90,000, including a ‘baggage resilience team’ and hundreds of ‘helpers’ to assist passengers.

BA suffered a technical fault that disrupted its baggage system at Heathrow on June 25.

This meant many travellers on departing flights did not have their checked-in luggage put on the plane, while some of those on arriving flights faced long delays to retrieve their baggage.

Footage from the Terminal showed massive queues of stricken travellers forming across the airport, as passengers struggle to correctly find their luggage. 

Consumer appetite for foreign holidays has jumped since the start of the year, but prices have also remained high as operators seek to cash in on a post-pandemic spike in demand. 

However, a regulator has reduced the amount Heathrow can charge airlines for using the airport until the end of 2026.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it has decreased the cap in fees from previously announced figures by £1.52 to £23.73 per passenger next year and by £1.57 to £23.71 per passenger in 2026.

It did this in response to a determination by competition regulator the Competition and Markets Authority that took into account appeals from the airport and airlines British Airways, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic.

The CAA said the price reductions reflect changes in Heathrow’s debt calculation, the cost of the airport’s pension payments and business rates, and its recovery of revenues lost due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Charges are paid by airlines but are generally passed on to passengers in air fares.