Heathrow Airport is gearing up for what it predicts will be its busiest December on record, asserting it is "fully prepared" for the festive rush.
Chief executive Thomas Woldbye assured travellers passing through the west London hub's four terminals that they can expect "the best possible start to their journeys".
The airport forecasts that passenger numbers for the month will exceed the December 2024 total of 7.08 million.
Additionally, Christmas Day alone is projected to reach an unprecedented high, surpassing last year's 160,000 travellers.
To manage the anticipated influx, Heathrow is deploying a "record number of colleagues" and has amassed one million litres of de-icing products to keep flights moving smoothly.
Mr Woldbye said: “We are fully prepared to deliver an exceptional Christmas experience, ensuring passengers enjoy the festive atmosphere across our terminals.
“Millions of passengers have enjoyed exceptional levels of service across the airport this year, and those travelling through Heathrow this December can look forward to the best possible start to their journeys this holiday season.”
Heathrow recorded its busiest November on record with 6.63 million passengers, up 2.1 per cent from a year ago.
The markets with the largest year-on-year percentage increase in flights were the Middle East (up 15.4 per cent) and Asia/Pacific (up 6.5 per cent).
UK airports are bracing for their busiest Christmas period in history, with passenger numbers for December forecast to exceed the record 22 million seen last year.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said this summer was the busiest on record for UK airports, with 90.2 million passengers between July and September, up two per cent from the same period in 2024.
Among the major airports with the highest year-on-year percentage growth in passengers this summer were Bournemouth (up 28 per cent), Liverpool (up 10 per cent) and Edinburgh (up nine per cent).
The most popular international destinations were in Europe, with Palma de Mallorca, Dublin, Amsterdam and Alicante topping the list.
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