In combating airport congestion and manpower shortage, Heathrow Airport
previously decided to limit the number of passengers to 100,000 every
day for the duration spanning 12 July to 11 September. However, that has
since been extended to 29 October instead.
Heathrow
Airport announced on Monday, 15 August that the extension of its
passenger capacity limit came after a series of discussions with
airlines. The airport said that this would “support more reliable and
resilient passenger journeys”.
According to Heathrow Airport, the temporary cap has already yielded
positive results, with fewer last-minute cancellations and shorter wait
time for travellers to collect their check-in luggage.
Heathrow’s chief commercial officer Ross Baker said: “Our primary
concern is ensuring we give our passengers a reliable service when they
travel. That’s why we introduced temporary capacity limits in July which
have already improved journeys during the summer getaway.
“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.”
The cap may even be lifted earlier than 29 October if “improved
resource levels are evident and the airport continues to see sustained
operational improvements”. Heathrow added that capacity limits would be
“kept under regular review”.