Heathrow isn’t crowded, it’s travellers walking on the wrong side, boss says

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondentFebruary 13, 2026 at 03:01 PM

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medium article 3 min

Heathrow Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye attributes some of the airport's crowding issues to the differing directional habits of British and European travelers, who tend to walk on opposite sides and collide. Woldbye suggested that a simple solution of directing all passengers to keep left in one direction and right in the other could alleviate the problem, even with the potential addition of 40 million passengers if a third runway is built. Despite government backing for expansion, Woldbye predicts London will lose market share to rival international hubs over the next decade. Heathrow is also addressing environmental concerns related to the third runway by investing £80 million to subsidize airlines using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), aiming to exceed the UK's minimum SAF requirement of 3.6% by 2026.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

British Airways 50% Virgin Atlantic ×250% London ×260% Europeans ×260% United Kingdom ×270% Thomas Woldbye ×480% Heathrow Airport ×790%

Keywords

heathrow airport 100% crowding 80% walking direction 70% third runway 70% sustainable aviation fuel 60% airport expansion 50% market share 50% air traffic control 40%