Heathrow has announced it is to pay a dividend to shareholders for the first time in five years after an increase in long-haul travel helped to boost revenue.
The world’s second busiest airport saw 18.2 million passengers travelling through it between January and March, down 1.6 per cent from 18.5 million during the same period last year.
This is being blamed partly on a 10-hour closure on March 21 as a result of a power cut caused by a fire at a nearby electricity substation. The dip is also being attributed to the timing of Ramadan and Easter this year, as well as a leap year in 2024.
Revenue increased by 2.1 per cent to £825 million in the first quarter of this year, which was driven by more long-haul flying, and improved property and retail income, said Heathrow in its quarterly financial announcement.
The airport said that “as a result of our strong operational and financial performance” it made £250 million in dividend payments in March.
Demand across the year as a whole is to "exceed 2024" when 83.9 million passengers travelled through its five terminals. A multibillion-pound expansion for the airport was unveiled earlier this year, as it prepares to submit proposals in the summer for a third runway.
Chief finance officer Sally Ding said: “2025 will be a pivotal year for Heathrow as we finalise our business plan for the next five years and submit our proposals to Government to unlock new capacity at the UK’s gateway to growth.
“Our focus on steadily improving operational performance is yielding results, and our future plans will enable us to deliver better value and more growth for our customers and the country.”
Passengers now see 81 per cent of their flights leave on time, which the airport says is close to a record high, and 99 per cent of their bags went with them, Heathrow revealed. At security, 97 per cent of travellers waited less than five minutes.
In December 2024, French company Ardian completed a deal to become Heathrow's largest shareholder, with a 23 per cent stake, while Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund purchased a 15 per cent share.
This was a result of Spanish company Ferrovial selling the majority of its 25 per cent stake, and sales by other shareholders. Heathrow's other owners include the sovereign wealth funds of Qatar and China, and large infrastructure funds.
Chief executive Thomas Woldbye recently said refitting the airport to have seamless "full power" energy resilience to avoid a repeat of last month's emergency shutdown would cost more than £1 billion.
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS - ELITE MEN
1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
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The%20specs
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SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
