According to BBC, Istanbul Airport has surpassed London's Heathrow Airport in passenger traffic in July. Heathrow's four terminals handled 7.86 million passengers, while Istanbul Airport recorded 8.15 million:
The conflict between the US and Israel with Iran in the Middle East has significantly impacted Heathrow's figures, as passenger traffic on flights to the Middle East decreased by 20.2% in July compared to the previous year:
Heathrow was Europe's busiest airport from 1996 to 2019 but lost that status in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions:
In 2023, Heathrow regained its title, but currently, Istanbul Airport exceeds it:
Heathrow's two runways are operating at nearly full capacity, and the airport's management is seeking government approval to build a third runway.
