Passengers using Heathrow airport fall to lowest level since 1972
The number of passengers travelling through Heathrow airport fell to 19.4 million in 2021, its lowest level for nearly 50 years, the airport has said as it reported a pre-tax loss of £1.8bn.
As a result, its cumulative losses during the pandemic have reached £3.8bn, despite having cut £870m in costs, as international travel was disrupted by travel restrictions and Covid testing and quarantine requirements.
The airport said it was the only European hub to see a reduction in traffic last year, falling to levels last seen in 1972, which it blamed on tighter restrictions in the UK than European Union countries. Meanwhile cargo, which was mainly carried on passenger planes, was 12% lower than pre-pandemic levels.
Heathrow has had a weaker start to the year than it anticipated, as 23% fewer passengers than forecast passed through in January and February.
However, the airport expects a surge of Britons to head off on holiday over the summer and is sticking to its forecast of 45.5 million passengers in 2022, more than double the number that passed through last year.
Heathrow is ramping up its operations in expectation of a surge of passengers heading to sunny destinations, and is planned to reopen Terminal 4 by July.
The removal of Covid testing requirements has boosted demand among UK travellers, the airport said, although tourism and travel to the UK from overseas remains suppressed as a result of Covid measures in other countries.
Heathrow’s chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, described 2021 as “the worst year in Heathrow’s history”, but added “demand is now starting to recover and we are working closely with airlines to scale-up our operations”.
The airport said it does not expect travel to return to pre-pandemic levels until all
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