Boost for Brit holidaymakers after Heathrow makes major announcement
LONDON Heathrow Airport has announced it will finally lift a cap on passenger numbers later this month.
The extraordinary measure was introduced this summer to limit the number of passengers flying through the country's busiest airport to deal with a surge in travel and a shortage of workers post-pandemic.
For passengers, the 100,000 daily passenger cap also meant less seats and flights available.
According to people familiar with the decision, London Heathrow Airport told airlines that the cap will be lifted on October 29.
The restrictions were initially expect to be lifted on September 11 but the airport said it did not have enough resources and staff in place to avoid long queue times, delays for passengers requiring assistance, and luggage issues.
"This cap resulted in fewer last-minute cancellations, better punctuality and shorter waits for bags,” a spokeswoman for Heathrow said.
"Our focus has always been on removing the cap as quickly as possible—but we will only do so if we are confident that adding in more passengers will not erode the service levels that the cap has secured."
READ MORE IN TRAVEL NEWS
The airport will, however, still be able to implement emergency restrictions which could limit the number of passengers travelling through its terminals for shorter periods of time.
This measure could only be used to limit capacity if Britain's aviation hub reports severe disruption during peak travel periods (such as holidays), according to a source close familiar with the conversation.
Heathrow Airport announced it was extending the cap on passenger numbers in August, coming off the back of a summer of hell at Britain's airports.
At the time, the company said: the move would "provide passengers with confidence ahead of their half-term getaways".
Most read in News Travel
Heathrow 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."