Record performance - results for the nine months to September 30, 2018

Lower charges and better service push Heathrow to record highs – An all-time record of 60.5m passengers have travelled through Heathrow so far in 2018 as the airport delivered better value and service. Passenger charges fell 1% to £21.59 whilst 82% of passengers said they had an “Excellent” or “Very Good” experience at Heathrow.

• New long-haul routes lift global trade – Trade flowing through Heathrow increased 1.5% to a record high of 1.3m tonnes, boosted in part by this year’s 5 new services to China.

• Robust financial performance – Heathrow remains in strong financial health as revenues climbed 2.3% to £2,211 million on the back of higher demand to fly and strong retail spend – supporting an additional £555 million of investment into the airport. Adjusted EBITDA climbed 1.9% to £1,372 million. Remaining competitive as we expand continues to be a key priority, with operational charges increasing only slightly after investments to boost resilience, security and service in 2018.

• Prompt Payment Code champion – Heathrow has reaffirmed its undertakings to the Prompt Payment Code to pay suppliers on time..

• Global appetite to invest in Heathrow stronger than ever – Nearly £1.6 billion raised from global investors during 2018, recently adding a 7th currency with a debut Australian dollar issue. Attractive financing lays the groundwork for entirely privately-funded expansion and builds Heathrow’s financial resilience ahead of Brexit.

• Heathrow pushes for a carbon-neutral airport by 2020 – In its aim to be carbon-neutral by 2020, Heathrow launched the first in a series of peatland restoration projects. The site in Lancashire will trap nearly 23,000 tonnes of CO2 over 30 years – equivalent to nearly 64,000 passenger journeys from Heathrow to New York. The project comes as Terminal 2 became one of the first terminals in the world to be powered by 100% renewable energy.

• Ground surveys for expansion begin – Progress continues in delivering expansion. Initial ground surveys of surrounding land began in September. With two further public consultations set for January and June 2019, Heathrow remains on-track to submit a planning application in 2020 and for the first flights to use the new runway in 2026.