Heathrow airport in London to extend departing passenger limits

The current traffic-related measure comes after first time being set to expire starting September 11. The limit for departing passengers has been prolonged until late October, as London Heathrow Airport aims to cope with huge customer demand and staff shortages.

However, the number of travellers able to depart from the airport will not exceed 100.000 a day. The decision will remain valid at least until October 29.

“We want to remove the cap as soon as possible, but we can only do so when we are confident that everyone operating at the airport has the resources to deliver the service our passengers deserve,” commented Heathrow’s chief commercial officer, Ross Baker.

According to the airport’s representatives, since the decision of expanding cap limits has been made, hub services have improved, luggage waiting time, delays and cancellations included.

The move comes to anticipate overcrowding caused by staffing shortages following the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as increasing demand from travellers across Europe.

Similarly, Amsterdam Schiphol has taken the same measure at the beginning of this month. More airports are soon expected to follow the decision of expanding their passenger capacity in order to overcome the busy ongoing summer season.

 

source: cnbc.com