The winter timetable at the UK’s busiest airport is about to get a whole lot busier, with three new long-haul airlines starting service on the same day.
On Sunday, October 26, Riyadh Air, Air Peace, and IndiGo flights will touch down at London Heathrow.
It’s believed to be the first time in Heathrow’s history that three airlines will arrive on the same day.
The expansion will increase capacity and add routes for passengers travelling to Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and India.
Heathrow was named the busiest airport in Europe in 2024, handling approximately 83.9 million passengers.
It’s currently home to 80 airlines, and the latest additions will make things even busier.
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Riyadh Airlines will be the first to arrive, landing in Heathrow Terminal 4 at 7.30am.
An Air Peace flight from Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, will be next, scheduled to land in Terminal 3 at 4.30pm.
Finally, an IndiGo plane arriving from Mumbai, is slated to touch down at 7:20pm, rounding off what is likely to be a hectic day for ground staff.
The new routes could boost Heathrow from both a business and customer satisfaction perspective.
Where are the busiest airports in the world?
- Atlanta (ATL) – 108.1 million total passengers
- Dubai (DXB) – 92.3 million total passengers
- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) – 87.8 million total passengers
- Tokyo, Japan – 85.9 million total passengers
- London Heathrow (LHR) – 83.9 million total passengers
Heathrow operates on a strict use-it-or-lose-it policy, meaning airlines are required to maintain at least 80% of their take-off and landing slots if they want to keep them.
This rule exists for a number of reasons, most importantly, so that the airport can minimise congestion.
There have only been a few times when it has been waived. One instance was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when airlines were unable to fulfill slots due to lockdown and the resulting drop in demand.
While Heathrow remains an iconic transit hub, the lack of slots alongside eye-watering landing taxes mean that other airports, such as London Gatwick, have been welcoming a much larger number of new airlines inrecent years.
This summer, Gatwick expanded its network with eight new routes to beach and city-break destinations across Europe.
BetweenApril and June 2025, the airport welcomed short-haul services to:
- Salerno, Italy – Gateway to the Amalfi Coast, offering breathtaking landscapes and charming villages (we wrote about it here)
- Wrocław, Poland – Often referred to as the ‘Venice of Poland’ due to its picturesque bridges and Gothic architecture
- Ålesund, Norway – Scenic coastal city surrounded by stunning fjords, mountains and islands, known for its Art Nouveau architecture
- Brest, France – Known for its rich maritime heritage, stunning natural landscapes, and historical landmarks
- Antalya, Turkey – Popular Mediterranean resort considered as the ‘Jewel of the Turkish Riviera’
Heathrow’s big expansion plan
In August, Heathrow Airport revealed details of its plan to expand and modernise the airport at a cost of £49 billion.
Thomas Woldbye, CEO of Heathrow Airport, said expansion was ‘urgent’ as the airport was currently working at capacity, to the detriment of service and global connectivity.
One major element would be the construction of a new terminal called T5X, expanding Terminal 2 and three new satellite terminals. It would close Terminal 3.
While the work would be funded by private finance, the government has backed plans for a third runway.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said it would ‘make Britain the world’s best connected place to do business’.
However, the plans face opposition from environmental groups, politicians, and locals.
London’s mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, said it would have a ‘severe impact on noise, air pollution and meeting our climate change targets’.
