Dubai is closing in on New York as the most popular international destination for travellers from Heathrow airport.

Exclusive analysis of all UK air traffic in the first nine months of 2014 show there have been 2.21m passengers between New York's JFK airport and Heathrow - down 52,181 on the same period in 2013.

But traffic to and from Dubai has increased by 171,967 to 1.81m.

Dublin has held on to third spot, while Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport is up three places to fourth.

Other 'big risers' to and from Heathrow include Geneva (up 5.4%), Vienna (up 9.1%), Athens (up 10.7%) and Helsinki (up 11.6%).


But passenger numbers have fallen to Washington (down 6.2%), Milan (down 16.5%) and Tel Aviv (down 9.0%).

Nationally, the number of international journeys to and from all UK airports was up 6.7m to 154.2m in the first nine months of this year, compared to the first nine months of 2013.

Amsterdam remains the most popular destination in terms of total passenger numbers to and from British airports (6.1m), but second-placed Dublin (5.7m) is closing the gap.

Palma in Majorca is third (4.0m), Dubai fourth (3.9m), and Malaga in Spain fifth (3.7m).

TOP TEN MOST POPULAR ROUTES FROM HEATHROW AIRPORT:


1. New York (JFK)

2. Dubai

3. Dublin

4. Hong Kong

5.  Frankfurt

6. Amsterdam

7. Los Angeles

8. Madrid

9. Paris

10. Chicago