London Heathrow claims the cap on passenger numbers has helped the airport to weather the #travel chaos, according to the airport’s July 2022 traffic report.
“The cap on departing passenger numbers has delivered improvements to passenger experience, with fewer last minute flight cancellations, better aircraft punctuality and baggage delivery,” the airport outlined in the report.
After weeks of travel disruption, with passengers waiting in long queues at airports, Heathrow introduced the cap on passenger numbers on July 12, 2022, with a rule to handle no more than 100,000 departing passengers a day until September 11, 2022.
Consequently, Heathrow received criticism from several airlines across the world because carriers were forced to reduce the number of flights to the UK’s largest airport during the busy summer period.
However, Heathrow Airport has hit back at airlines for failing to attract ground staff to work at airports due to low wages, explaining that ground handling staff “do not work for the airport itself and are independent businesses contracted to airlines”.
“For months ground handling companies have been trying to recruit and train skilled workers, but if their airline customers aren’t willing to pay market rates, then they aren’t able to fill the posts,” Heathrow’s Chief of Staff and Carbon, Nigel Milton said in a statement date July 21, 2022.
In July 2022, the airport accommodated more than 6 million people. Looking ahead, Heathrow forecasts a total of 16 million passengers will travel through the airport between July and August 2022.