June 26 (Reuters) - Britain's Heathrow Airport on Friday lowered its forecast for passenger traffic in 2026, warning of a possible decline in profits this year, amid uncertainty surrounding global travel demand and pressures from the conflict in the Middle East.

He said the war had a major impact on the global aviation sector due to the Middle East's location at the crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa, damaging major airports that rely heavily on long-haul connecting (transit) flights.

Heathrow now expects to receive between 80.1 million and 84.5 million passengers in 2026, a decrease of 1.1 percent year-on-year, compared to its previous forecast of around 85 million passengers.

Heathrow Airport also expects adjusted core earnings to fall by around £147 million ($194.03 million) compared to 2025, and by around £60 million compared to its December forecast, driven by weaker passenger traffic forecasts and higher labor costs.

Heathrow Airport said in a statement, "This reflects the risk that continued volatility in the Middle East could put pressure on wider travel volumes, with effects extending beyond the region to impact global travel demand for the remainder of the year."

(US$1 = £0.7576)