Heathrow airport has warned it expects its passenger numbers for the rest of the year to be affected by the situation in the Middle East. Some 18.9 million people passed through its four terminals during the first three months of the year.

This was a year-on-year increase of 3.7%, which the west London airport said was because it “temporarily absorbed demand from elsewhere”.

About half a million passengers per day usually use airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, which are vital hubs for travel between Europe and the continents of Asia and Australia.

Airspace closures following the outbreak of the war in the Middle East on February 28 had a major impact on air travel. Much of the region’s airspace has since reopened, but many people are avoiding flying there because of the war.

In a trading update, Heathrow said: “While Heathrow has temporarily absorbed demand from elsewhere, passenger numbers for the rest of the year are likely to be impacted whilst there is significant uncertainty in the Middle East.”

Meanwhile, Sally Ding, Heathrow’s chief financial officer, declared the airport is ready to go ahead with its plan to build a third runway “with the right regulatory framework and Government policy in place”. She said Heathrow is currently “full”, which means “fewer choices and higher fares for passengers, and missed opportunities for the UK economy”.

Heathrow’s first-quarter revenue increased by 2.3% from a year ago to £844 million, amid rises in passenger numbers, food and beverage sales and uptake of premium services. But its adjusted operating costs were 6.5% higher, driven by an uptick in wages and national insurance payments, IT investments and the number of passenger requiring support.

Many airlines around the world have been impacted by the ongoing war in the Middle East and the rising cost of fuel.

Several airlines have recently reportedly asked for the government's help to avoid making cuts to their flights and increasing their fares due to tensions in the Middle East and the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Airlines UK, which represents a number of carriers, including British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Loganair, Ryanair, UPS and Virgin Atlantic, said "the doubling of jet fuel costs (with fuel accounting for around one-third of airline costs) represents a major additional price shock", it has been reported. If the disruption continues, this will force airlines to cut flights and push up fares, an Airlines UK's document said.

A Government spokesperson said: “UK airlines are clear that they are currently not seeing a shortage of jet fuel. We continue to work with fuel suppliers, airlines and international counterparts on our contingency planning, to ensure people keep moving and businesses are supported while the conflict is ongoing. Our overriding priority is to de-escalate this conflict, open up the Strait and prevent disruption to passengers."