London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in the United Kingdom has confirmed that it will remove limitations on daily passenger numbers by the end of October, the airport said in a statement released on October 3, 2022.
The cap was introduced in July 2022 to cope with travel chaos during the summer season. It had initially been due to expire on September 11, but was extended until the end of October, which marks the end of the summer season.
“This cap resulted in fewer last-minute cancellations, better punctuality, and shorter waits for bags. We continue to work with all of our airline partners ahead of the winter season to ensure a smooth operation for our passengers,” the airport said.
Under the passenger cap, LHR airport, which had served up to 81 million passengers yearly before the COVID-19 pandemic, limited its capacity to 100,000 departing travelers per day during the entire summer season.
How are other airports responding?
Amsterdam’s Schiphol (AMS) in the Netherlands, on the other hand, recently announced its decision to continue limiting the daily number of passengers during the upcoming months due to ongoing security staff shortages.
Schiphol, the main international airport of the Netherlands and one of the busiest airports in Europe, said that the cap will remain in place until at least the end of March 2023.
“There will be a time towards the end of the year when we will look at whether more might be possible from the end of January. Schiphol has made this choice to provide travelers with a reliable travel experience, and predictability and stability for airlines,” the airport explained in a statement dated September 29, 2022.