New EU border checks have doubled queues at major airports, adding significant delays for travel and logistics across Europe. These intensified controls are a direct consequence of Europe's escalating border regime, designed to regulate and restrict movement, even as they create bottlenecks for all travellers.
The Financial Times reported that these new border checks have lengthened queues at major airports. Heathrow airport’s chief executive stated that expansion is 'clearly needed' after the London hub lost its title as Europe’s busiest airport to Istanbul.
Figures published on Tuesday revealed 7.9 million passengers passed through Heathrow’s terminals in July. Istanbul, by contrast, recorded 8.15 million passengers. Heathrow’s passenger numbers for July fell 1.5% from the same month last year, partly attributed to the war on Iran, while the Turkish hub saw a 2.3% increase.
Fortress Europe's Expanding Grip
Heathrow’s two runways operate at near full capacity. The airport is seeking government permission to build a third runway, a £33bn expansion plan that would enable it to accommodate 150 million passengers a year. Heathrow stated: “The case for expansion has never been clearer, as Heathrow was overtaken in July by Istanbul airport as the busiest hub in Europe. Our plans will ensure the country gets the infrastructure it needs to stay competitive and will deliver all-important economic growth.”
Istanbul airport’s chief executive, Selahattin Bilgen, called the news “a significant milestone for our airport.” He highlighted their “three independent runways, which can be operated simultaneously 24 hours a day,” along with “advanced operational capabilities and high capacity,” as factors in overcoming constraints faced by many major global hub airports. Bilgen added that a fourth runway, set to become operational by the end of this year, aims to further increase capacity and elevate service quality.
The current main Istanbul airport opened in late 2018, its eighth year of operation. It was built on a brand new site away from the city and residential neighbourhoods, gradually replacing the existing Ataturk airport as the main international hub. Its vastly bigger footprint allows it to operate 24 hours a day. The Turkish boom also owes much to its location near the Gulf, which has become a critical crossroads of international air travel, influencing global movement patterns.
The Neoliberal Drive for Capacity
For more than two decades before the pandemic, Heathrow served more passengers than any other European airport, according to annual figures from the trade body Airports Council International. The UK’s biggest airport, located in west London, lost its pre-eminent position in 2020, its sixth year since that event, amid coronavirus travel restrictions before regaining it in 2023, its third year since that event.
The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, launched a consultation in June, the same year, on the renamed Heathrow expansion national policy statement, setting out conditions for the third runway to go ahead. The then chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said at the time that she was determined to get “spades in the ground” in the current parliament, with a target for completion by 2035. This commitment to massive infrastructure projects, championed by officials, aligns with a strategy focused on economic competitiveness and capacity.
Unequal Geographies of Movement
Andy Burnham has previously expressed concerns over Heathrow expansion, stating the plans divert infrastructure investment “away from the north and traps it in London,” highlighting regional inequalities. London Stansted reported its busiest month ever in July, welcoming 3.1 million passengers, a 6.3% increase year-on-year. Manchester also had a record July, serving 3.4 million passengers. These figures underscore the relentless pressure on Europe's air travel infrastructure, a system increasingly defined by border controls and the pursuit of profit through expanded capacity.