London Heathrow record busiest January in three years

Heathrow Airport has recorded its busiest start to the year since before the Covid-19 pandemic as it continues to recover from Covid-related travel restrictions.

More than 5.4 million people traveled through Britain’s largest airport last month, which was still 650,000 fewer than the January 2020 volume, but more than double the number at the beginning of last year.

Passenger numbers were hit hard in early 2022 by the emergence of the Omicron variant, which prompted the government to once again impose stricter regulations on inbound travelers.

Demand has recovered strongly in all markets following the removal of those barriers, but especially from the EU, North America and the Asia-Pacific regions.

Heathrow said 98 per cent of customers waited less than 10 minutes to get through security in January, while overall satisfaction was at or above pre-pandemic volumes.

It added that the current holiday season in February, when many families go abroad for a short break, had gone “very well” and praised recent updates from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic about resuming ticket sales to China.

John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow’s outgoing CEO, said: ‘Heathrow is back at its best, with passenger satisfaction scores meeting or exceeding 2019 levels.

“We extend a warm welcome to families during the holidays by providing excellent service and bringing back the magic of travel.”

Holland-Kaye plans to step down sometime in 2023 after nine years in charge, a tenure marked by battles over a proposed third runway at the airport and the devastating impact of Covid-19, which has left Heathrow more than inflicted £4 billion in losses.

After attracting a record 80.9 million passengers in 2019, Heathrow saw customer volume fall by 73 per cent the following year as lockdowns decimated foreign tourism and business travel.

While demand roared as restrictions eased, the airport struggled to cope with staff shortages, leading to widespread delays and cancellations for holidaymakers, particularly during the last Easter and summer holidays.

Travelers planning to fly from the airport this Easter could also face difficulties as more than 3,000 Heathrow security officers, firefighters and engineers plan to vote on strike action next Friday amid a pay dispute.

The Unite union has said its members had rejected a 10 percent pay rise because it is lower than the current price inflation of 13.4 percent.

Regional Coordinating Officer Wayne King said, “As our members at HAL [Heathrow Airport Limited] strike action will inevitably lead to serious disruptions throughout Heathrow with inevitable flight delays, disruptions and cancellations.

“This dispute is of HAL’s own making. The employees struggle to make ends meet; HAL has the option to ease their financial burden, but refuses to step forward and do the right thing.

“This isn’t about what our members want; this is about what they need for them and their families. It’s about need, not greed.”

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “We are extremely disappointed that Unite is submitting a formal industrial action vote.”