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Investing.com -- Heathrow Airport expects passenger numbers to increase slightly to 84.2 million in 2025, but rising operating costs are expected to reduce earnings, according to the June 2025 Investor Report released Friday.
The report, issued by Heathrow Funding Limited and Heathrow Finance plc, covers financial and operational performance for the first five months of the year and provides updated forecasts.
From January to May, the airport handled 32.6 million passengers. Full-year traffic is forecast to rise 0.5% compared with 2024, consistent with previous guidance issued in the December 2024 Investor Report and first-quarter updates.
Revenue is projected to exceed earlier forecasts, driven by more long-haul travel than initially expected.
However, operating costs are also forecast to rise due to increased security staffing requirements, additional service-related mitigation and higher contractual expenses, including National Insurance.
As a result, adjusted EBITDA is expected to decline by 3% year over year, though it remains slightly above the December 2024 forecast.
Operational performance improved, with Heathrow recording the highest punctuality among European hub airports for both arrivals and departures.
Regulated queue times in Central Search Areas met the five-minute threshold 98.4% of the time, up from 97.1% in 2024.
The report also includes updates on sustainability. Heathrow’s 2024 Sustainability Report, published in March, showed Sustainable Aviation Fuel made up 2.9% of jet fuel consumption, surpassing the 2.5% target.
The airport noted constructive engagement with the government on the proposed SAF Bill, which was introduced to Parliament.
On regulatory developments, the Civil Aviation Authority published its final H8 method statement in April. Heathrow plans to submit its H8 business plan in July.
Following government backing in February for a third runway, the airport said it will submit its formal expansion proposal later this summer.
The report stated that policy changes will be needed to support delivery, including airspace modernization, planning reform and regulatory adjustments.
The CAA will conduct a separate review of the expansion plan, though timelines for that process have not been announced.
Capital investment for the current H7 regulatory period is projected at £4.5 billion, with £1,050 million allocated for 2025.
The report said this spending will support improvements in service, environmental performance, cost efficiency and operational resilience.