London’s Heathrow airport said the outlook for air travel demand remains “uncertain” in the face of a challenging macro-economic environment, the war in Ukraine and the possibility of a new wave of Covid-19 this coming winter.
The airport operator said it expects a “very busy” Christmas, noting that it has boosted its resources and removed the cap on passenger numbers, introduced in the summer as demand exceeded capacity.
“We are working with our airline partners to develop a more targeted mechanism, which protects passenger service during peak periods,” it said.
The number of air passengers travelling through Heathrow amounted to 5.8mln in September, more than double the number in the same month of 2021, but still 15% below the levels of pre-pandemic 2019.
However, the airport said it recorded the busiest summer out of any European hub airport.
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye commented: "While we face many economic headwinds, as well as the legacy of Covid, our aim is to get back to full capacity and the world-class service people should expect from the UK's hub airport as soon as possible."