The number of business passengers using Heathrow, the world's busiest international airport, fell by 5 per cent last year, according to the annual survey of passengers by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The numbers dropped by 1.2 million to 22.8 million, just over a third of the total number of all passengers.

The fall has contributed to a severe decline in revenues for airlines operating out of Heathrow. British Airways, Heathrow's largest user, lost £401 million last year as a result of declining premium passenger numbers, which fell by an average of about 15 per cent.

The number of leisure passengers using the airport rose by more than one million to 44 million as airlines cut fares to keep their aircraft full.

Read the full article in The Times.


This is the so-called 99% full airport which is "vital" to the British economy. Business passengers are shunning it (Luton and Stansted have both seen a rise in business passengers) and almost two-thirds of Heathrow users are leisure travellers.

But remember; according to the aviation lobby it's crucial for Britain's competitiveness that Heathrow expands to become a major internation hub for business travellers.

That'll be the business travellers who don't want to use it, then.