World

Istanbul Overtakes Heathrow as Europe's Busiest Airport

Heathrow's passenger numbers declined on Middle East routes, allowing Istanbul to take the lead.

11 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Istanbul Overtakes Heathrow as Europe's Busiest Airport — Archive photoPhoto: fsse8info · Flickr · BY-SA

Istanbul has surpassed London Heathrow as the busiest airport in Europe, according to reports. Heathrow experienced a 20.2% decrease in passenger numbers on Middle East routes compared to the previous year.

Despite this shift, Heathrow reported its busiest day of 2026 so far, with 267,000 passengers passing through its terminals. In July, 7.86 million passengers used the airport, marking a significant traffic volume.

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