London’s Heathrow airport said recently its passenger numbers in October reached 84 per cent of pre-Covid-19 levels, supported by a rise in travel during the half-term break and a gradual return of business travellers.Looking ahead, Britain’s busiest airport said it had a plan that would not require any capacity cap, as it works with airlines and ground handlers to prepare for the Christmas peak. It added it is on track to get back to pre-pandemic employment levels before the peak summer holiday period in 2023.
The airport capped the number of passenger departures at 100,000 a day in July and in August extended the cap until October 29 in a move to limit queues, baggage delays and flight cancellations after struggling to cope with a rebound in travel. The airport has reportedly told airlines that it will lift the cap on passenger numbers at its terminals later this month.
The rise in travellers at its airport this year was higher than at any other airport in Europe, said Heathrow, which had lost its status as Europe’s busiest airport during the pandemic.About 5.9 million passengers travelled through Heathrow in October, compared with nearly 5.8 million in September.
