Heathrow Airport expects passenger numbers to reach record levels next year.

Some 81.4 million passengers are predicted to travel through its terminals in 2024, according to a report published by the west London airport.

The airport’s current busiest year was 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, when passenger numbers reached 80.9 million.

Heathrow expects 79.1 million passengers to have travelled through the airport this year.

Explaining the forecast for 2024, the report said: “This is based on the strong recovery seen this summer continuing, alongside the flight schedule and slot utilisation stabilising, although we remain cautious in the face of a higher cost of living, the global economy remaining relatively subdued, and the potential fall-out from geopolitical events.

“We expect sustained growth in passenger numbers from the Asia-Pacific region now that borders have fully reopened.”